Serum: A Detective Mellark, Divergent Crossover
by HungryForMore74
Summary: Tris and Tobias flee Chicago to escape the Dauntless gang. They end up in New York where their paths cross with Detectives Katniss Mellark and Gale Hawthorne.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Small white houses lined the block where the two detectives walked. The concrete path that weaved through trimmed hedges and a manicured lawn led to the front door. They walked in and saw simple furniture in the living room. The hallway held one family photo. The detective held the photo in his hand. The family looked like a typical middle-class family; almost like his own. Two bodies on a blood-soaked bed met them. One man and one woman lay on the bed. If it weren't for the holes in their heads you'd think they were asleep.

"Oh Christ. This is a mess." Detective O'Brien said. He pulled down the sheet to expose the couple. A gray nightshirt covered the woman. A few blonde hairs peeked through the blood. The man had similar colored pajamas. The detective thought about the gray night-clothes; he looked around the room and couldn't find any inkling of decorations in the room. "They lived very simple lives; didn't they." The junior detective nodded his head. "Do we know who they are?" Detective O'Brien asked.

"The neighbor says their name is Prior. Natalie and Andrew." Detective Mills said. "She also said they were a quiet couple. They had two kids; the boy's away at college. There is also a daughter." Detective O'Brien examined the family photo. Mom, dad and two teenage kids. The boy had short brown hair and the girl had long blonde hair. She had a slight build and stood a little away from the other three. Detective O'Brien wondered whether the girl was involved in the murder or was she a victim also.

"Detective, a passerby said they saw a young blonde girl running from the scene." A uniformed police officer said.

"Thanks," O'Brien said. "It may have been the daughter."

"How 'bout the shooter?" Mills led O'Brien to the garage. A young man slumped against the blood-spattered garage door. A pool of blood three feet across surrounded him. He barely looked sixteen.

"No name yet," Mills said.

The questions flew through O'Brien's mind at light speed. 'Was it random? Did he know the victims?'

"It certainly looks like he took his own life. Powder burns around his mouth." The crime scene technician said. "The M.E. will have to confirm it, but this kid was probably high on Serum."

O'Brien put his hands on his face and rubbed his forehead. "This is getting out-of-hand. What's this, the third one this month?" Mills nodded yes.

This had become a troubling trend for the Chicago Police Department. A new drug had appeared on the streets. Normally, when a new, more potent drug appeared, overdoses increased, but this drug was different. The hallucinogenic effects of Serum were intense and hypnotic. The users not only hallucinated, they become susceptible to suggestion. In hypnosis, you can be told to quack like a duck, but you wouldn't shoot someone. Serum was different. If you're told to shoot someone while under; you shoot.

"Okay, you see the son, he's at Illinois State University. Drive down, deliver the news and see what he knows." O'Brien said. "I'll start looking for the girl."

* * *

Tris' heart pounded and sweat drenched her clothing as she stopped and looked for a place to wait and collect her thoughts. The alley's shadows offered the cover she needed. She spat out the bile that had pooled in her mouth from the stench of piss and crap. She pulled out the knife that had become an extension of her hand when she heard a can roll. Her eyes hadn't adjusted yet, but she knew she wasn't alone in the alley. They must have seen her run from her house and followed her. Would she meet the same fate as her parents?

"Wow, there girl! Just wanna know if you're alright." Tris finally caught a whiff of the tall man in the filthy jacket. She probably wandered into the box he called his home.

"No, I'm fine." She wiped her mouth and sprinted away from the alley. She still had fifteen minutes to run to reach the relative safety of the motel room she and Tobias had rented.

Tris's senses were overwhelmed. Every noise, every smell could be a threat. She turned the corner and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She muttered, "shit," under breath. She didn't know their names, but she recognized the two Dauntless gang members keeping an eye on the motel.

The questions mounted; how was she going to warn Tobias? And even if she could warn him, how was he going to get out? Tris spun around and sat with her back against the wall. Her mind fogged up with the thoughts of her parents. She finally smacked the back of her head against the brick wall. "Ouch." Warm blood dribbled down her neck.

She walked away from the motel and took a round-about route to get to the back of the motel. She didn't see anybody staking out the rear of the building. Their room was on the second floor. "Piece of cake." She climbed on top of the dumpster and reached for the drain pipe. Her fingers touched it, but she couldn't grab hold of it. She found a milk crate to give her the height she lacked.

_...knock ...knock ...knock_ She saw Tobias' shadow near the bathroom window. "Tobias, it's me." The window creaked as Tobias opened it. "Tris! What are you doing?"

"They're watching the front. Help me in." Tobias reached out and grabbed Tris by the back of her pants. Together, they pulled her in. She plopped on the floor. "Thanks."

"Why haven't they come after us?" Tobias asked.

"They may have been waiting for me to get here."

Tobias sat on the floor and took Tris' face in his hands. "Thank God you're okay. I was worried." The tears streamed down Tris' face. Her breath became shallow. He put his arms around her and squeezed. "Don't cry. You need to be strong."

Tris pulled away and glared at Tobias. "I'm not crying because I'm some weak little girl."

Tobias crawled away from her. He kept his voice low so he didn't alert the spies outside. "I know you aren't. I was..."

Tris' diverted her eyes from Tobias. "My parents are dead."

His eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"I watched some kid shoot both of them in their bed."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I remember him from school, he was in a few of my classes." Tris closed her eyes and tears snuck out. "Then I heard a single shot as I ran away."

Tris and Tobias drew the same conclusion. "Serum," Tobias said. "It had to be. What else would cause a kid not even connected to the gang to kill them and then himself."

Tris lay on the floor and looked at the ceiling. How did her world turn upside down? "Tobias, what are we gonna do?"

"Get outta Chicago." The area outside of Chicago was foreign to Tris. She rarely even went outside the city limits.

"Where?"

"Washington. I know some people there. It'll be easy to get lost there."

Tris stood and took her knife out. She held the steel blade between her thumb and three fingers. Her face became stern when she saw the scared, little, blonde girl that reflected on the knife blade. She brought her arm back and let the knife fly into the door. "Let's pack."

* * *

"Tris, will you hurry! We gotta get outta here. Our train leaves soon." Tobias said.

"What time?" Tris asked.

"This evening, 6:40. We get in tomorrow at, um, after 1pm."

"That's almost a full day."

"Washington ain't around the corner."

Tris packed what meager possessions she'd collected since she ran away from home. Her knife, some shirts and pants. She held up the black dress she bought with her friend not too long ago. She packed it not knowing when she'd have an occasion to wear it again.

Tris had trouble concentrating; she couldn't shake the visions of her parents in their blood-soaked bed. Tris ran into her house just moments after the boy shot himself. If she had gotten their earlier she could have saved her parents or be dead herself. She recognized the boy from school but didn't know his name. She asked herself why he was chosen.

Tris loved her parents but found their lifestyle stifling. She yearned for more freedom. She would be eighteen in less than two years, but she couldn't wait. Her brother, Caleb was a year older than her and away at college. He was so smart that he graduated high school a year early. His parents had hoped he would stay local for at least the first two years, but he also found their home life stifling.

"Oh God, I need to call Caleb."

"There's no time. Besides, the cops will tell him." Tris felt guilty not telling her brother herself. She might never get to speak to her brother again. She took a deep breath and looked around their motel room. She won't miss the tiny place that had been her refuge for the last few days. "I'm ready." Tobias took her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest. She got up on her toes and pulled Tobias down to kiss him. "Let's go," Tris said.

"You go out first," Tobias said.

"Okay, but you have to promise to follow me." Tobias reluctantly agreed. Tris swung out of the window and grabbed the downpipe. She climbed down to the top of the dumpster. "Lower the bags." Tobias lowered the two bags and his backpack. "Now you."

Tobias climbed slowly out of the window and lowered himself until his arms were outstretched. "Now let go." Tobias turned and glared at Tris. "Are you serious?" Tris nodded. "Push off and let go." Tobias tried to let go, but his fingers wouldn't release. "You can do it. On three. I'll count." He nodded. "One, two, three." Tobias pushed off and dropped to the alley. He tumbled over backwards and flipped over. "You okay?"

"Only hurt my pride."

Tris and Tobias had to take the train to Union Station. Tobias grabbed her hand. Out in the open, she felt his pulse race but, but Union Station was too far to walk and they didn't have a car. They couldn't spare the money on a taxi and the bus was too slow, and besides, they both loved the train. Tris would sit and just stare through the window and watch the buildings fly by. She wondered what all those people did in those buildings. What jobs did they have; what lives did they lead?

Tris intertwined her fingers with Tobias'. They were on a journey across the country. She was leaving only place she had ever known. Sure, she'd travel with her parents on a few summer vacations but never too far from home. Mostly to the beach, but one summer to visit some distant relatives of her mother's in Milwaukee.

Tris almost yelped when Tobias squeezed her hand hard. She turned to him, but his eyes were focused on something at the front of the car. She looked forward and saw a group of young men sporting gang member tattoos. And probably Dauntless. "Your collar." Tris pulled up his collar to hide his tattoos. The one on Tobias' neck was definitely Dauntless. "Are they looking for us?" Tris asked.

"I don't think so, but avoid looking at them."

One of the gang looked over. Did he recognize Tobias? Or Four as he was known to them. The guy's stare became more intense. Tris pulled Tobias' face towards her's and kissed him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the gang member turn back towards his friends. "This is it." One of them said.

Tris released Tobias when the doors closed. "Wow." Tobias whispered in her ear. He pulled her close and the train resumed. She buried herself into him.

The train rumbled along; the wheels clacking at the crossings. The noise calmed Tris. It took her mind off her family. Her parents were dead and her's and Tobias' lives were in danger.

"This is our stop." They picked up their bags and left the train. Union Station stood before them.

it measured over nine city blocks

Almost every train line traveled through Union Station that stood on nine city blocks. Mostly commuters passed through its doors but with rush hour almost over the crowd had thinned. They entered the station through one of the doors on Clinton Street. "Wow!" Tris's jaw dropped. The vaulted ceiling of the Great Hall drew her eyes up. "It's so much bigger than I remember." The football field long main waiting room, the Great Hall, had a barrel-vaulted skylight that soared as high as a ten-story building. Two statues representing day and night overlooked the room.

Tobias pulled Tris along past the rows of wooden benches. "We have some time. Let's get something to eat." They entered a deli and ordered food. "Two cheeseburgers and fries." Tobias grabbed two sodas and they sat in the back to eat.

* * *

A/N: For those of you that aren't familiar with the Detective Mellark series you can read a primer. Go to Chapter one of Kat Tales. Then read The Wedding, We're Having a Baby, Everlark Holiday Specials, Trapped, The World According to Katniss, Kat Tales, and Happily Ever After. Then you'll be all caught up. Enjoy the reads. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Tris looked down the track every few seconds. "It's not going to pull in any faster Tris." She clutched her backpack and buried her head in Tobias' chest. She listened to his beating heart. Unlike her's, calm.

The tunnel lit up and the brake's screeching echoed through the platform. Tobias stowed their luggage overhead and Tris melted into the seat. "No, over here." Tobias pointed to two seats that backed up to a wall. She realized that he was right, keep people from surprising you from behind.

She blinked and yawned. "I could sleep all the way to D.C. in these seats." Tobias raised his eyebrows at Tris. "I know I can't."

Tobias raised his eyebrows at Tris. "I know; I can't," she said.

Tobias stumbled when the train pulled away. He sat down and put his arm around her. "I'll take the first watch. I'll wake you later." Tris' eyes drooped as she listened to the hypnotic clack of train on track.

_Beatrice, share your dessert with Allison._

_But Dad, why?_

_I shouldn't have to explain why to you Beatrice_

She brushed away the poke in her side and tried to bring back the dream she just had. "Tris, get up."

She stretched her arms and yawned. "Is it my turn already?"

"Almost, I have to go to the bathroom." He kissed her forehead and walked off. The world outside the window passed by at 60 miles per hour. She didn't know where they were, but it didn't matter as long as she was with Tobias.

A shiver went down her spine when the large man's reflection appeared in the window. "Hello Stiff." She glared her at Peter when he sat next to her and called her that nickname. She reached for her knife but ceased when she felt the point of his knife in her side. Peter outweighed her by almost twice; she wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with the Dauntless enforcer.

"Where's Four?" He referred to Tobias by his nickname. Except for the number four tattooed on his neck, she could never get a straight answer about his nickname. "I asked you a question." She shifted towards the window as he pushed his knife into her side.

"I don't know. He was gone when I woke up." She tried not to show any pain when he grabbed her arm.

They both lurched when the train came to a full stop. "Let's go." He almost ripped her arm out of its socket. "We're getting off."

She had trouble keeping up with Peter as they walked to the dark end of the parking lot. She tried to imagine if her parents saw their death coming as she did. She'd cut her hand once but never felt a steel blade enter her. More questions filled her head, would she die from her wound or would she bleed out? The one thing she was convinced of, it would hurt; Peter was brutal, not neat.

She tripped on a loose paving stone and fell. "Christ Stiff. Can't you even walk?"

"Fuck off asshole." Pain radiated from her head when he pulled her up by her hair.

"I oughtta kill you right here."

"Why don't you?"

"Jeanine want's you brought back alive." Tris had heard the name Jeanine before but didn't know how she was connected to the Dauntless. "If I was you, I'd wish I was dead instead of being brought to her." Peter pushed her forward and she fell again. "Alright, that's enough! Get up!" When he leaned down to pull her up she kicked him in the face. Blood streamed out of his nose and his eyes turned black. She got up to run, Peter grabbed her leg as he flew into the brush. Peter howled when Tobias flew into him and they rolled into the thorn bushes.

Tobias' first punch glanced Peter's chin, but he second punch doubled him over and expelled the last bit of choked air from his gut. Peter's large size made him an easy target and Tobias brought his leg back to kick him in the head. Peter took this opportunity to charge Tobias.

Peter practically lifted Tobias off the ground as their fight proceeded to the other side of the path. Tobias saw three Peter's when Peter landed on top of him.

"I'm going to enjoy this!" Peter brought his arm back to hit Tobias with enough force to embed his head in the ground. "Oh shit!" Peter brought his hands up to clear the dirt Tobias threw in his face.

Tobias squirmed out from under Peter and surveyed the area for Tris. Peter righted himself and his arms flailed through the air trying to hit Tobias. Tobias took a chance but guessed wrong; he took a punch that threw him back into the bramble. Peter reached down and pulled him up by the collar.

Peter let him go and Tobias had the wind knocked out of him; he pushed Peter's hulking frame off him. He looked up and saw Tris still holding the paving stone.

"Thanks." Tobias took Tris' face in his hands and kissed her. "Let's go." They sprinted back to the train.

"Won't they just meet us at the next station?" she asked Tobias. "And even if they miss there, they must know we're going to Washington."

"Well, I don't think Peter will wake anytime soon, and we'll change at the next stop, Pittsburgh."

"For where?"

"It doesn't matter, the first train out."

* * *

"I'm exhausted."

Peeta gave a broken smile to his wife. She looked tired and he wanted to help. "Let me get you some ice for your shoulder." Peeta filled a towel with ice and put it on Katniss' shoulder. She winced at the cold and then sank into the world's most comfortable chair and relaxed. Every muscle in her body softened and her mind calmed. "Here's a drink."

Katniss smiled and accepted the drink. "I can't believe how sore I am. It's yoga! I have never hurt myself at yoga. There is no 'NO PAIN NO GAIN' in yoga!"

"Sorry hun, you probably just turned wrong or something. I'll make you another martini."

Katniss reached up and pulled Peeta down for a kiss. "Let me finish this one first." She watched Peeta go back to the kitchen to finish making dinner and thought he might get lucky tonight without getting her drunk.

The sweet aroma made Katniss' stomach growl. "Smells good."

"Hi Lily!" Katniss said.

The little toddler let go of her nanny's hand and stretched out her arms. "Mama." Katniss took Lily and she threw her arms around her mother. She squeezed as hard as her little body could. "It's good to see you too sweetie."

"When do you go back to work?" Peeta asked.

"Tomorrow at 4PM." Katniss took off a week from work for a little R &amp; R. A bullet nicked her thigh and a bat hit her other leg. She fell off her office chair and hurt her butt. To top things off, she developed one hell of a cough. Peeta enjoyed the week also. While he worked he hoped Katniss would opt to resign and become a stay at home mom, or at least find a safer job.

Peeta hated her job as a police detective. To Peeta, any job that required a person to wear a bullet-proof vest and carry a gun was not a job he wanted his wife to have. He wasn't a sexist, but he wanted to grow old with her. He didn't like going through his day wondering whether a chief or chaplain might show up at his door.

He also knew Katniss loved her job. Her curiosity made her the perfect person who loved to solve a puzzle. And puzzles don't get much bigger than homicides. So he just counted the days until her retirement; he had done the math plenty of times, less than 2000 days.

"I heard from Gale today. He's begging me to take him back full-time. Jimmy Darius is too quiet for him. Hmm, does that mean I talk too much?" Katniss' partner, Gale, missed her. Partners developed a rhythm. They predicted each other's moves. They bickered like a married couple, but without any of the sex. "He'll just have to settle for me for a couple of days."

Katniss gave Lily back to the nanny. Glimmer also had the week off, but she missed her little charge. It was nice to be back. "Come on young lady, it's time for a change." Sharon, Glimmer's real name, was a God-send. Katniss knew her from her stripper days, so the name Glimmer stuck. Katniss originally didn't want her because of her beauty and body. But it turned out Peeta loved how she cleaned and cooked. Really!

Once the ex-stripper proved herself as a housekeeper, she cared for Katniss after her appendicitis operation. After Lily's birth, Glimmer moved in and became a key part of the family.

"How long are you working nights?" Peeta asked.

"Just for tomorrow. Gale and me traded with Garcia and Park. One of them had something to do. We'll be back on the regular schedule after that." Peeta, Katniss, and Glimmer dug into their dinner. "Peeta, it's delicious." Katniss loved Peeta's and Glimmer's cooking. Katniss cooked okay; just okay. More like, she could boil water.

After dinner, Katniss took Peeta's hand and whispered in his ear. "We could have dessert in the bedroom, you know if you want." Peeta looked at her with a confused look. Katniss sighed and whispered again. "And I don't mean cheese buns."

Peeta's eyes dilated and his breathing quickened. "Um, Glimmer, can you take care of the dishes?"

"Sure Mr. Mellark. No problem." Glimmer chuckled to herself when she saw Katniss and Peeta almost trip over themselves rushing to the bedroom. As soon as they got through the door Peeta pounced on Katniss; taking her in his arms and tossing her on the bed. Katniss kicked off her shoes and reached down to remove her socks. "Oh shit!"

"What's wrong?" Peeta asked.

"I forgot to say goodnight to Lily." Katniss leapt up and ran to the door. She pulled the door open and... "Ahhh!" Glimmer stood on the other side of the door holding a smiling little girl with her arms outstretched. "Oh Lily, I'm sorry I almost forgot you." Katniss took Lily and kissed her goodnight. "Thanks, Glimmer."

"I knew you'd remember eventually." Glimmer took her back and closed the bedroom door leaving the happy couple alone.

Katniss' face flushed. She and Peeta hadn't had much alone time lately. "Why don't you get ready while I take a quick shower." Katniss didn't answer; she nodded her head.

Peeta left a trail of clothing on his way to the shower. Katniss opened her dresser drawers and tried to pick out a sexy piece of lingerie to wear. "Black, no. Red, no. Pink, no." Katniss couldn't decide. "Oh, the hell with it." She peeled off her pants and then her shirt went. Bra and panties dropped to the floor next. She dove under the covers and waited for her love.

Peeta finished his shower in record time. Dried himself off and entered their bedroom. Peeta wore a grin of excitement. "I'm ready!"

Peeta sighed and wore a crooked smile. "Oh Katniss, we can't catch a break." Peeta crawled into bed and tried not to wake his sleeping love. "What am I going to do with you." He wrapped his arms around Katniss and squeezed. Katniss cooed and pressed herself into Peeta. "Good night sweetheart." He kissed her shoulder and drifted off himself.

She fell into a deep sleep and wouldn't wake up until Peeta left for work.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"I'm begging you to stop at a Duane Reade. I need to get something for my stomach." Sargeant Katniss Mellark said to Detective Gale Hawthorne. Being an NYPD homicide detective played havoc with your digestive system.

"Maybe you're pregnant again."

Katniss glared at Gale. "I'm not pregnant. It was the..."

Gale interrupted her. "Yeah, I've heard this before. It was the breakfast burrito."

"It couldn't have been the breakfast burrito, it's almost 6:30 in the evening.

For two people who weren't married they bickered a lot. But being partners is really a lot like being married. Even more sometimes. They spent more of their waking lives during the week together than they do with Peeta and Madge.

"If you think you can be serious for a minute I have a question for you." Katniss asked.

Gale turned to her, crossed his eyes, puckered his lips, and stuck out his tongue. "Sure, anything for you." Katniss rolled her eyes and turned away. "Okay, I'm sorry. Now what's up?" Katniss thought about whether she should bring up this subject with Gale. "Come on, ask!" He insisted.

"Okay, has Madge ever pressured you to quit?" Katniss asked.

"Uh oh. I smell trouble in paradise. Has Peeta been leaving college brochures around? Or is your mom sending you job openings for the Panem Police Department?"

Katniss swallowed hard and looked away from Gale. Her chest tightened and her face started to burn. "All of the above." She paused for a few seconds. "I used to brush them off but now I'm a little conflicted thanks to the little princess Lily."

"Are you starting to think about resigning?" Gale asked.

She covered her face with her hands and rubbed her face. "Let just say that the door is open a little."

"My God, you're a little weepy this evening. Are you sure you're not pregnant again?"

Katniss narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. She thought that Gale was being a total ass. "Can't you ever be serious? And no I'M NOT PREGNANT!"

Gale leaned back, smiled, and hummed _Put on a Happy Face._ She threw her hands up in the air and sighed. "Never mind. Forget I asked. Just go back to being a prick."

"Hey, this prick is your little princess' godfather. And to answer your question, no, Madge has never pressured me. All she asked is that I retire when I've put in my twenty years. She promised to buy me a golf course when I retire."

Katniss thought how lucky he was to have married a trust-fund baby. Although, the only time Madge has tapped her fund was to buy the apartment. And she owned that when Gale and she got married.

"I made Peeta the same promise but that was pre-Lily. We both love Glimmer, but he doesn't want Lily raised by the nanny." Katniss had a sinking feeling in her stomach. The issues at home were giving her a headache. She looked away again when her eyes became moist. She blinked a few times and wiped them with her hand.

"A whole freaking golf course, not just a club membership?" Katniss asked.

"Yup, a whole freaking golf course," Gale said.

* * *

"Do you think they'll find us?" Tris asked Tobias.

"I hope not. We didn't come all this way just to be caught by them. I think we lucked out. Getting a train to New York was a God-send. We should be able to get lost here." The two walked hand in hand up the stairs and left Penn Station. The long train ride exhausted them. The hot city had already deposited a layer of grime on Tris, she needed a shower. "We gotta find a place to stay. I downloaded a list of cheap hotels so we can lie low for a couple of days." He looked at his phone. "Come on. I think one of the hotels is a few blocks uptown" He took her by the arm and started to cross the street.

She looked around at the towering buildings. The skyscraper, first introduced in Chicago, didn't impress her, the numbers did. New York also had a different feel. Everybody moved at a much faster pace. "I get the feeling we're gonna get run over if we don't keep up with the crowd."

He laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Come here." They stopped on the street corner, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "This is a chance for us to start over. Are you ready?" She smiled, and that cheered him up a little bit more. She stood on her toes and kissed him. Again, they felt like one when their chests pressed together.

They hugged and she looked over his shoulder. "GET DOWN!" She shoved him away, and the bullet from the shooter grazed his shoulder as he fell to the ground. He winced as he hit the ground.

"GUN! HE'S GOT A GUN! DROP IT!" Four cops ran towards them with their guns drawn.

_"Ten-thirteen! Ten-thirteen! Shots fired. Eighth and Thirty-third. Civilian's been shot. Send a bus!"_

_"One-four Ida responding... One-four taxi responding... Truck one responding... One-four Adam responding..."_

"We'll go after him!" Two of the cops ran after the shooter.

"You guys hurt." The boy held his shoulder. Blood spread down his shirt. "Check over there, I think someone else has been hit." One of the cops ran towards a screaming person by a hot dog stand.

He leaned into her and whispered. "Listen, my name is Mark Stewart and your's is Bethany O'Brien. We're from Toledo." She nodded.

One of the officers bent down. "Let me see your shoulder." He placed a towel over the wound.

* * *

Katniss interrupted Gale. "Gale, listen. Something's up near Penn Station."

"We're not that far away," Gale said as he hit the lights and siren. They sped off towards the scene of the shooting.

_Car 451 responding._

When they got close to the corner they saw a few police cars and Emergency Service units on scene already. They walked over to an officer standing with a group of cops. "Who was first on the scene?" Gale asked the group.

"We witnessed it." The cop motioned to his partner. "The victim was the hot dog guy over there."

"Who was the shooter, New York Times food critic." Katniss laughed inside at her partner's smart-ass comment. Without their black humor, cops would go crazy.

"No Detective. The shooter was over there, by the orange cone."

Katniss looked at the distance. "That's pretty far. Innocent bystander?"

"Yeah. The real targets were those two over there by the bus."

Katniss looked at a pair of teenagers sitting by the ambulance. The medics treated the boy while a younger girl sat next to him.

"We were talking to a couple of Amtrak cops when a guy pulled out a handgun, took a stance and fired two shots. He ran off. The Amtrak cops took off after him down Eighth. We checked on the victims and called it in."

"Gale, check on the hot dog guy. Let's make sure he wasn't the real victim. As soon as we can make an ID we'll contact his relatives. I'll talk to these two." Gale walked to the victim, and Katniss approached the two teenagers. The boy looked like he was about eighteen or nineteen. Tall, thin and muscular. He had quite a few identifiable marks. She perused his tattoos, a "4" stood out on his neck. "Hello, I'm Sargeant Mellark. What are your names?" The young girl looked at the guy. Katniss knew something was up. She wondered about their relationship. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend, relatives, or maybe he controlled her?

She spoke up first. "I'm Bethany O'Brien."

Katniss looked at the boy next. "Mark, Mark Stewart." Gale and two other detectives walked up.

"Detective Hawthorne will go with you to the hospital."

Mark started to get up. "No, I'm alright." He leaned on the door of the ambulance to balance himself.

"I think you need to go and get checked out," Katniss said. He looked at Bethany, and she nodded yes. She started to get into the ambulance also.

"No Bethany, go with Detective Watson." She started to object. "Please Bethany, go with the detective," Katniss said.

Mark nodded his head, "I'll be fine. Go." Tris went with Carol. Katniss needed to keep the two of them separate. That was the only way she could find out the truth about what went on here.

Before Gale got in the ambulance he spoke to Katniss. "What do you think of these two?"

"I don't trust anything they've told us, not even their names. See what you can find out." Gale nodded and stepped into the back of the ambulance.

"Connie. Stay here. Check out the hot dog guy. See what you can find out from his boss. You and Carol might have to go to the relatives." Connie agreed and walked off. Bethany sat with Carol in a deli and had a hamburger and a soda.

"Thanks, Carol." Katniss sat across from Tris. "So Bethany, tell us what happened," Tris wolfed down the burger like she hadn't eaten in days. "Bethany, what happened?" Katniss gently touched her arm and Tris put her burger down.

"Well, we just came out of the train station, and we heard a shot and we ducked. I looked and... and Mark was shot. I screamed, and the cops ran over. They spoke to us and then we went to the ambulance." Tris went back to eating her burger.

"Do you know who shot at you?" Tris took a deep breath. Katniss knew she was trying to formulate a believable answer.

"I didn't see him, and we weren't being shot at. Some other guy got shot."

"Bethany, where are you guys from?"

"Toledo." She shot back a little too quick.

"Listen Carol, continue taking Bethany's statement. I'll be right back." Katniss got up and went outside. A pair of Amtrak Police Officers appeared at the scene. "Hi, I'm Sargeant Mellark. Did you two witness what happened?"

"Yeah, I'm Tobin and this is Chambers." Katniss shook their hands. Penn Station is patrolled by the Amtrak Police Department. They are federal cops who patrol the trains and the facilities. "We were on the corner talking to Campbell and Romero."

Katniss stopped him. "What were you guys talking about?" The question sorta stunned Tobin. Katniss decided to save him. "Relax Tobin. It's summer in the city, and you were girl-watching."

Tobin and Chambers chuckled. "I saw a guy pull a guy and shot at the two kids."

"You sure they were the targets?"

"Absolutely, the girl looked like she recognized the guy before she pushed her boyfriend out of the way. Then we took off after him."

"You'll be able to describe him?" They both nodded yes. "Okay, write your descriptions down. Get them to me in a few minutes. Then check this out for me. They claimed to be from Toledo. See if you can verify that." They agreed, and Katniss went back into the deli. Tris had moved onto chocolate ice cream. "Detective. Do you need to ask her any more questions." Katniss asked.

"No Sarge. I think we're done here." Carol said.

"Work with Connie on the victim. I'll take Miss O'Brien. Come on young lady." Katniss and Tris each took a bag and walked to Katniss' car. "Just throw them in the back."

Katniss and Tris were quiet for the first few minutes until Katniss broke the ice. "Hope this doesn't sour you on our city."

Tris looked out the window. "No, it doesn't. Shit happens."

"Why are you in New York?"

She turned towards Katniss and paused before answering. "Just had to get away." The girl didn't give up information easily. She was hiding stuff. Who she was, why was she here and probably where they're from. "When are we getting to the hospital?"

"We're not going to the hospital."

She whipped her head around, and Katniss sensed the worried look that was across Tris' face. "Why... I thought we were going to the hospital. I gotta see Mark. You can let me out and I'll go there myself."

"Relax, he wasn't hurt that bad. Detective Hawthorne will bring him up to the office as soon as he's released. She leaned back in her seat and clutched the armrest, and dug her nails into the vinyl.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Gale waited for the doctor to finish before questioning Tobias. Even though, he was examined behind a screen Gale caught glimpses of his tattoos. He even managed to snap a picture of his back.

"How is he doc?" Gale asked.

"Fine. A few stitches. Gave him a tetanus booster and I wrote a prescription for antibiotics. He'll be okay."

Gale stepped into the examination room as Tobias put a shirt on. He swam in the oversized shirt they gave him. "You can change when you get to the station. Your clothes are there." Tobias nodded his head. "Before we leave why don't you tell me what happened."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not much to tell. Someone shot a gun, and I got in the way." Tobias' indifference got under Gale's skin.

"What did the guy look like?"

"I didn't see him."

"How did you know it was a male?"

"I don't, I just guessed. I'm ready to go." He picked up the bag with his bloody shirt in it.

"Why are you in New York?"

"Just visiting."

"Who?'

"No one. We're tourists." Gale and Tobias walked through the hospital ER doors and to the car.

"What's your relationship with Bethany?"

Tobias stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

"She your girlfriend, little sister, friend?"

"I don't see where that's any of your business." Tobias picked up the pace of their walked. Gale reached out and grabbed his arm. "Listen son..."

Tobias jerked his arm loose of Gale's grip. "I'm not your son!"

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds. "Okay. No problem." Gale opened the door to a waiting police car and he and Tobias got in the back seat. "Thanks for the ride guys."

Neither of them spoke on the way to the squad room. Gale didn't want to start a conversation that could end any second. He wanted to question Tobias in a controlled environment. Preferably, an interrogation room.

* * *

"Here's another soda." Katniss placed the Coke on the conference table. "I just heard from Detective Hawthorne. He'll be here in a few minutes with Mark. He's okay. Just some stitches." Tris smiled and seemed relieved. Whatever their relationship, she seemed to care for him. "Bethany, is Mark your boyfriend?" Katniss could see Bethany bite the inside of her cheek. The question made her nervous. That didn't mean she expected a lie, just that the question bothered her. "Yes." She answered.

"Yes." She answered.

"He seems nice. How long have you been together?"

"Less than a year." The girl relaxed a little. "Where'd you guys meet."

The girl let out a sigh. "Where'd you guys meet."

"It was during..." She paused. Katniss expected a suspect answer, "during a party. A friend of a friend introduced us."

"That's nice. I remember dating in high school. So much drama. I'm glad those days are over."

"You married?" She asked Katniss.

"Yeah." Kat turned around and saw Gale and Tobias entering the squad room. "Your boyfriend's here." Tobias walked into the conference room. "How are you feeling?" Katniss asked him.

"Fine."

"Your bag is there if you want to change. Can I get you something to eat?" Katniss said.

"No, we just want to go."

"In a little while. We have some more questions." Tobias glared at Katniss. "Why? We don't know anything else."

"You'll be surprised how much you know. We'll be back in a few minutes." Katniss closed the door and left Tobias and Tris alone.

"Gale, learn anything?"

Gale shook his head. "No, but he's hiding a lot. And he's got a temper."

"Well, if he does, I don't think he takes it out on her. She doesn't seem to have any bruising, and she's not afraid of him." Kat's phone rang. "We'll interview them again separately

... Hello... oh hey Tobin, learn anything." She put the speaker on as their captain walked in.

"Yeah, they got off the train that they said, but they didn't get on in Toledo. We found a conductor that remembered them. They got on in Pittsburgh with a ticket from Chicago. They were originally heading to Washington. I'm having Chicago pull and review the video tapes. They're going to get back to me."

"Hey Tobin, good job. Thanks." Katniss hung up the phone. "They lied about where they're from. I'm sure they lied about their names and that they didn't know the shooter."

"Do you think they're running from someone," Captain Dever asked.

"Yeah Emma, I do. Don't know what yet." Katniss said. "Do us a favor while we're questioning them. Take Officer Tobin's call from APD if he calls. Have Darius check with the gang unit about these tattoos. Ask them to check with Chicago PD about the tattoos. They might be gang tags."

The Captain stared at her subordinate. "Anything else Sargeant Mellark?" Katniss shook her head. Emma turned to Gale. "How bout you Detective?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "No." She rolled her eyes before she walked away.

"Ready Gale?"

"Let's go." They walked into the conference room where the pair sat around a large conference table. "Mark, could you go with Detective Hawthorne please."

Tobias narrowed his eyes. He went eye to eye with Katniss. "Why?"

"Because we'd like to question you about the shooting."

Tobias took a deep breath and pursed his lips. "We told you we don't know anything!" Katniss' heart didn't miss a beat and her breathing stayed steady. There was no reason to escalate this situation. Not yet, at least.

"But we still have questions to ask you." She said.

He grabbed his bag and walked towards the door that Gale blocked. Tobias may be tall and muscular, but he was no match for Gale. Gale could easily take him. He turned back to Katniss. "We don't have to answer any questions unless we're under arrest." He paused. "Are we under arrest?"

Katniss walked a few feet before answering. "No, you're not under arrest. We just thought you'd want to help us find a man that hurt you and killed another."

"Come on." He said to Tris. "Let's go." She got up and grabbed her bag.

"Sit back down Bethany." She spun her head between Katniss and Tobias, her mouth opened but nothing came out.

"You said we weren't under arrest. You can't hold us." Tobias said.

"It's true. You are free to go. But Bethany stays."

Tobias stood, placed his hands on the table and shot a glare at Katniss like a laser beam. Gale moved close to Mark, just in case. "Why? What the fuck are you talking about? Why can't she leave?"

Katniss strolled towards Tris and sat by her. She turned around and looked back at Mark. His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. Would this be enough to set him off? "Because she's a minor. She can't be more than fourteen," Tris' eyes got tremendous and she turned beet red.

"NO! I told you I'm eighteen. I swear I am!"

"Gale, escort Mr. Stewart out. He can wait for his girlfriend or leave if he wants to." Gale grabbed Tobias' arm.

Mark pulled his arm away. "I told you not to touch me!" Before he picked up his bag he leaned into Tis and whispered to her to say nothing. He got up and left the room.

"Do you have any ID?" Katniss asked.

"NO, I told you I lost it."

"Okay, let's start at the beginning. Tell me why you left Chicago."

* * *

_... knock... knock... knock _"Cap, the boy took off," Gale said.

"We couldn't hold him," Emma said. "You know you have to call Children's Services for the girl."

"I'll get to it." Emma nodded and went back to her paperwork. "Detective Darius has something for you, he has Chicago PD on the phone.

"Thanks, Emma."

"Glad I could help." She sounded sarcastic, but Gale wasn't sure. He had a hard time reading his boss.

_... knock ...knock ...knock_ Katniss looked up and saw Gale signal her. "Be right back." She closed the door behind her. The glass conference room let Katniss keep an eye on Tris.

"Darius has Chicago PD on the phone."

They sat around a speaker phone and listened. "One of the tattoos is a gang symbol. Dauntless."

"Tell us about them," Katniss said.

"They haven't been around too long. They actually got their start as some underground fight club. They started peddling steroids and now have moved into distributing other drugs. They're violent and vicious. They don't just kill those who get in their way, they torture them." Katniss now started to think that the two teens were running away.

"Most recently they're suspected of killing two members of Abnegation."

Gale interrupted. "What kinda gang name is Abnegation."

The Chicago cop laughed. "It's not a gang. It's some do-gooder society like the Salvation Army. They run soup kitchens, clothing drives and provide homeless services. They run shelters."

"So what happened?" Katniss asked.

"They started complaining that drugs were being sold in a housing project that they manage, and two of them were capped. Andrew and Natalie Prior. Husband and wife. I'm sending you a news story right now."

The newspaper article popped up on the screen. The picture of the two victims appeared. Katniss focused on the woman. Blonde hair, narrow face. "Resemble anyone we know?" Gale agreed.

"Did the Prior's have any kids?" You could hear papers shuffling in the background.

"Yeah, boy, Caleb, seventeen and a girl Beatrice, sixteen. Boy's at college. We can't find the girl."

"Any photo?"

"I'm sending a family photo now."

Katniss smiled, "Thanks. Hold on a second." She muted the call. "Gale, get all the info you can from Chicago PD. Try to find out about Mark." Katniss printed out the photo and left the conference call.

She looked at the family photo and then at Beatrice. She wondered how long she'd been running. "I'm sorry." Katniss said.

"Sorry for what?" Tris asked.

"Sorry about your family, Beatrice."

She lowered her eyes. "I'm called Tris."

"Tell me about the shooter, you recognized him, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Did he also kill your parents?"

Tris kept looking forward and without hesitation she said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What is Mark's real name?"

"It's Mark."

"Tris, I'm trying to help you."

"We don't need your help." Katniss thought with enough time she could get what she needed to catch a murderer and protect Tris. But she didn't have time. Leads go stale fast.

"Tris, please. Your parents are dead, a guy from Queens is dead, Mark was injured. Please help me get who's doing this." Tris didn't take her eyes off the wall in front of her. Pleading obviously wasn't going to work. Katniss got up and walked out.

"Learn anything else?" Katniss asked Gale.

"They're sending a list of known and suspected gang members. We can see if we can identify Mark and if anybody can identify who the shooter was." Katniss' eyes glazed over. "Hey, you still in there?"

"Yes Gale, I'm still here. Just thinking about a sixteen-year-old runaway whose parents were just murdered."

"Emma wants us to call ACS." Gale said.

"We'll lose control of her if we do that."

"We can't keep her in a conference room all night."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I can't release her to you." The caseworker said.

"Why not?" Katniss asked.

"Because you're a cop."

"Who better. If you send her to a foster family you're putting that family in danger. I can protect her and myself."

"You know anything you learn about her is inadmissible." Emma said.

"I know that Emma, but she's not under investigation. She's a victim."

"She's a gang member. You don't know what she's done." Emma said.

"We don't know that she's a gang member. Only that she dates one."

"When you date one, you are one." Emma paused and got up from her desk. "We'll treat her as a witness under protection. We'll put you up in a hotel. But only for a couple of days. If we don't make any progress she goes to ACS." She looked at the caseworker. "Is that alright with you?"

"Whatever keeps her safe. Keep me informed." I nodded, and Emma lead the caseworker out of the office. "You have two days to get what we need from her. No more."

"Thanks, Em."

"Now get out of here and catch me a murderer." Before Katniss could leave Gale walked in. "We identified Mark. His name is Tobias Eaton. He's a Dauntless gang member. CPD doesn't know much about him. They also don't have any indication that Tris is a gang member."

"This sounds like Romeo and Juliet. Dauntless versus Abnegation. A boy from one falls for a girl in the other." Katniss said.

"Remember detectives, Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy. Everyone dies in the end. Our job is to prevent that." Emma said before shooing us out.

"I sent the gang photos to the cops that were at the scene to see if they can identify the shooter," Gale said.

Katniss nodded. "It's late, go home. We'll start fresh in the morning."

"Good night Kat."

"Night Gale."

The officer had just finished when Katniss got back to Tris. "What's this for?" Tris asked.

"It's an tracking ankle bracelet."

"What for?"

"You're a flight risk. If you run I can track you. If you get too far away from me an alarm goes off. If you try to take it off I'll know. We're joined at the hip or should I say the ankle."

Tris stared at the ankle bracelet. "I thought all teenage girls loved to get an ankle bracelet?"

"Yeah, but from your boyfriend."

"Well, you got one from me. And, don't worry about it clashing with your outfit, black goes with everything."

"How do you know I won't kill you while you're sleeping?"

"I don't. But that would be pretty stupid. The second you stepped out of the hotel room you'd be caught and then they'd find my bloody corpse." Katniss gave a quick smile, and they left.

The city can't afford nice hotels so they usually use small out of the way places. Not seedy flophouses but definitely not someplace you'd like to stay for a long vacation. "Stone to check in."

"Welcome Mrs. Stone. Your bag arrived." Peeta packed an overnight bag for Katniss and had it delivered. She gave him a list of what she wanted, but we'll see how well he did.

"Who's Stone?"

"Just a name we use to check in." Katniss opened the door and turned on the lights. Two double beds filled the bulk of the room, but it did have a fridge and a microwave. "It ain't much but it's home for a couple of days." Katniss walked to the window and looked at the street. She then closed the drapes. Tris threw her bag on the dresser and plopped on one of the beds. "Comfortable?" Katniss asked.

"It'll do," Tris answered.

Tris stripped down to her underwear. "Nice tattoos." Katniss said.

"Thanks." Katniss recognized the Dauntless and the Abnegation symbols, but the third one was different. "What do the three birds stand for?"

"They're ravens. One for my mother, father and my brother."

"What school does Caleb go to?"

"Leave him out of this." Tris left for the bathroom. Katniss shook her head at her inability to get anything out of Tris. She didn't trust anyone, except maybe Tobias. She opened her bag to change and pulled out some sleeping clothes.

"What are you a grandmother or something?" Tris laughed at the granny nightie Peeta packed in the bag.

"Nope, I just have a comedian for a husband." She shoved it back in the bag and pulled out something else. "That's better."

"It is, now you look old instead of ancient." Katniss raised one eyebrow when she looked at the smart-ass girl lying on the bed.

"That's mean."

"You called me fourteen."

"Sorry about that. I was trying to provoke you."

"I just hate looking so young."

"You'll love it when you're thirty-five."

"Shit, thirty-five. I'd swear you were for ..."

"Hey! Let's not go there." _... ring ... ring ... ring_, Katniss answered her phone. "Yeah Connie."

"I'm outside for the night."

"Thanks, bye."

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Tris asked.

"I'm looking for the sonofabitch that shot at you and you're ... you're going to sit in the office and tell us what you know."

"I guess it'll be a long day," Tris said before pulling the covers over herself.

Katniss thought Tris was being a little snit.

* * *

Tobias had to figure out how to get Tris away from the cops. They wouldn't arrest her, but they'd probably put her in some sort of foster home or shelter until they could ship her back home. He figured that it would be much easier to get her away from a social worker than a cop. So he kept an eye on the police station waiting for Tris to leave. He checked his gun just in case he needed it.

It was almost dark by the time he saw Tris. And much to his dismay she was with that woman cop. "Dammit." They got into one of the cars outside the police station. Tobias took out his cell phone. "Come on Tris. Keep that cell phone on." Tobias turned on the tracking software on his cell phone. "There you go." He started out on foot, and he hoped they stayed in the city.

They didn't go that far. He saw that they stopped only five blocks away so he started running. They pulled into a hotel. He saw Tris walking with the cop. It looked like she was going to spend the night. Tobias hid himself in a doorway a half a block away to think of some way of getting Tris out. He looked at the building. He looked at all the windows. He waited for a light to turn on. "There it goes. Now let's see if someone pulls the curtains." And if like clockwork a woman pulled the curtains shut. "Bingo." Tobias made a mental note of the room and sat down to formulate a plan.

He figured the best way would be to hide in the building and free her as they left the room. He left his hiding place and walked the half block to the hotel entrance to examine the hotel. Nothing special, just a clerk in the lobby behind the counter. He returned to his hiding space and sneak in overnight through the service entrance.

* * *

_... ring ... ring ... ring_ The phone woke Katniss, "Yeah."

"Your boy is outside hiding in a doorway a half a block away. I called for another car. You want me to pick him up?"

"Yeah. Have him brought to the station." Katniss turned on the light and saw Tris staring at her. "I guess you heard. Tobias is outside. You'll see him at the station in the morning."

"What are you arresting him for?"

"For being a pain in the ass. Go back to sleep it's only three."

* * *

Tobias woke up. The street lamps lit the empty block. He walked to stretch his legs. While in the street, he moved over to the side when he heard a car coming up behind him. It stopped next to him, and the two doors opened. He immediately knew something was wrong and tried to run. "GET HIM NOW!" came from the car. Tobias recognized the voice right away. It was Eric, one of the gang leaders.

"Get him in the car!" Someone hit Tobias on the back of his head, and Tobias stumbled and fell to the pavement. "Pick him up and put him in the back" Tobias was half conscious. He could hear screaming in the background. Then gunshots rang out before they took off.

"Where are we going?" One of the Dauntless asked.

"Just follow the GPS. I gotta place we can hang out in until we start going back."

* * *

They weren't loud, but they were definitely gunshots. "Shit!" Kat grabbed her gun and jumped over the bed. "Come with me." She dragged Tris to the bathroom. "Stay in there."

She made a call. "Dispatch, this is Sargeant Mellark. There were shots outside the Eagleton Hotel. I'm inside with a witness."

"We know. Units are responding."

"Let me know what's up as soon as you can." Kat grabbed Tris' bag and threw it to her. Get dressed." She ordered.

_... ring ... ring ... ring_ "Connie, what's up out there?"

"Before backup arrived a car sped up and snatched the boy. I tried to stop it, but they shot at me and hit the car. I couldn't pursue them."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry Kat."

"Katniss, what's wrong?" There was genuine concern in her tone. Something Katniss hadn't sensed in her since they met.

"Somebody grabbed Tobias. Get dressed and let's go. You're not safe here."

Tris froze and wrapped her arms around herself. She screamed at Katniss. "This is all your fault! You shoulda just let us go!"

Katniss glared at her. "Listen to me you little wise-ass. If you and your fuckin' boyfriend had been upfront with us and not played your little games we coulda' helped." She stopped when she saw the tears coming from Tris' eyes. She remembered that Tris was just a stupid, confused girl. "Just get dressed, we gotta go."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Katniss, why did you get me here at four o'clock in the morning?" Gale asked as he arrived at the squad room wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

"Stop whining you little baby," Katniss said.

Gale saw Tris lying on the sofa in Emma's office, "what happened?"

"A group of four guys grabbed Tobias outside the hotel. Connie tried to stop them but got shot at. No plate numbers, just out-of-town plates."

"It's appropriate that it was four guys."

"Why?"

"That's Tobias' nickname."

"Four? What the hell does Four mean?" Katniss asked.

Gale shrugged. "Maybe he was raised by hippies or something." Katniss shook her head.

"Gale, let's wake up Tris and see what she knows. Maybe tonight shook her up a little. Then we can plan our next move."

"Let me speak to her," Gale said.

Katniss cocked her head and lifted one eyebrow. "Um." She rubbed her chin. "Why you?"

"Well, you tried the mom, aunt, older sister, BFF thing and it didn't work. So I thought I try the father, uncle, older brother, Facebook friend thing."

Katniss nodded. "Okay, give it a shot."

Gale and Katniss entered Emma's office. "Tris, Tris wake up." He shook Tris' arm. Her eyes opened and they darted back and forth. She pressed her hands into the seat cushion and pushed herself back. "It's time for us to talk."

Tris rubbed her eyes and sat up straight. Gale closed the door and pulled a chair up. "Tris. Tell us what happened outside Penn Station." He asked.

Katniss had never heard Gale be so gentle. His usual method was to tower over someone and intimidate them into submission. She expected Tris to recoil and get defensive, but a concerned look replaced usual defiant one. Katniss sensed Tris would finally tell the truth. "Well, it happened exactly like I said. It's just that I did recognize the shooter. It was a guy named Eric."

"Eric what?" Gale sifted through the list of gang members.

"I don't know his last name. I only met him once. He wasn't a guy that I trusted. He looked like someone who would stab you in the back just for the hell of it."

Gale showed her some photos. "Which one is Eric?"

She looked at the six photos and her pupils got as large as an eight ball. "That's him." The name on the back confirmed it.

"Who's he close to?" She looked at the list. "Let's see, this guy Peter is always hanging with him. That's the only other one I recognize. Sorry."

"Gale, call CPD and see if they can supply us with known associates. Also, get their pictures out."

"Got it."

Katniss grabbed Gale's arm. He paused and she smiled. "Very good dad."

"Let's not go that far."

"Okay, brother?" He shook his head. "Uncle?"

"That's better."

He left Katniss and Tris together.

"Katniss, what are we gonna do to find Tobias?" Tris asked.

Katniss didn't want to discourage Tris but finding Tobias was going to take a lot of work and a little luck. "We'll think of something Tris."

"Hey Kat. I got something. One of these guys has a New York connection."

"We have a name and address?"

"Yeah, I'm going to take Darius and check it out."

"Good, let me know what you find."

Katniss' eyes drifted off into space. "Katniss... Katniss..." Tris snapped her fingers to bring Katniss out of her trance.

"Sorry, what?"

"Gale called you Kat."

"Yeah, that's one of my nicknames."

"What else do they call you?"

"My close friends and family call me Kit-Kat."

"How'd you get that name?"

"I'm named after the candy bar." Tris smiled for the first time. "I like them a lot." She had a pretty smile. Katniss hoped she would be happy one day.

"It's a good thing your favorite candy bar wasn't Chunky or Mr. Goodbar." Katniss scrunched her nose and narrowed her eyes. She tried to think of a witty comeback, but fatigue slowed her down.

"Come on, let's get breakfast." Katniss led Tris out of the squad room. "I got a question. And I need you, to be honest." Tris nodded. "Did you tell Tobias what hotel we were at?"

"No, you have my phone."

"I thought maybe you got your hands on it and called him."

"No Kat, I swear."

Katniss lost her train of thought for a second when Tris called her by her nickname. She shook her head. "Um, how did he find you?"

Tris thought for a second. "He didn't find me. He found you, I mean, he found my phone, and you have it."

Katniss took the phone out of her pocket and looked at it. "Damn, I never thought of that. Do you have the same location app?"

"Yeah." Tris' eyes lit up. "We can use it to find him."

Katniss activated the app, and it showed a location. She called Gale with the address and he'll check it out with Darius. She stared at the phone and couldn't decide what to do with it. "Oh, fuck it." She locked it in her desk draw. "Maybe they'll walk through the front door looking for you."

"Let's go for breakfast."

"Can't we go and look for Tobias." Tris pled.

"No, Uncl Gale doesn't need our help. I'll take you to the diner for breakfast. I need a bagel." They walked down the stairs and left the station. "Do they have bagels in Chicago?"

"Yeah, but I don't eat them. They remind me of stale donuts." Katniss and Tris both smiled. Katniss perked up now that something had finally broken in their favor.

They sat in the car going nowhere. "This is as bad as home. I hate sitting in traffic." Tris said.

Katniss looked at the SUV in front of them. It had dark tinted windows. She shook her head. "That car's windows are too dark. That's illegal." She looked at the plates. "Oh, they're out-of-towners." Suddenly it hit Katniss. "Tris, something's up!"

"LOOK OUT!" It was too late when Tris screamed. The truck rammed the driver's side of the car. The force pushed the car sideways onto the sidewalk. "Oh God!" The powder from the airbags filled the car. "_... cough ... cough ..._ "Tris, Tris, you okay?" Tris didn't answer; Katniss continued to cough and search for the door handle.

Katniss' vision blurred from the impact and all the powder in the air. She fumbled around for the radio mic. "Shit! Where is it?" She still couldn't find the mic. "Tris, are you alright?"

"Get the girl!" Katniss and Tris heard someone give an order from outside the car. Katniss reached for her gun, but she couldn't move in the seatbelt.

Tris crawled out of her window and ran. "GO AFTER HER!"

Katniss' vision came back. She saw the SUV turn onto the sidewalk and sped off down a side street. She finally found the mic. _"Ten-thirteen, ten-thirteen!"_

_"Unit calling ten-thirteen identify."_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Just get me outta here!"

"Please stay still so I can put the collar on," the EMT said.

"I don't need a fuckin' collar! I need to get outta this God damn car!"

"Please stay calm and..."

"DON'T TELL ME TO STAY CALM! GET THOSE MUTHER FUCKIN' JAWS OF LIFE AND CUT ME OUTTA THIS GOD DAMN CAR!" Katniss' bloodshot eyes bulged. To complete the mad-dog look she needed white foam spilling from her mouth. "If you don't get me out now I'll rip out your pancreas!"

Following his training about dealing with an injured animal, the medic slowly backed out. "Okay ... Sargeant ... I'll ... be ... leaving ... now ..."

Katniss struggled to free her ankle that was trapped behind the brake peddle. "God dammit."

A friendly face finally poked his head through one of the broken windows. "Hey Kit-Kat."

She looked up when she heard the familiar voice. "Hello Gale. How are you?"

"Much better than you." Katniss narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn't in the mood for his smart-ass comments. "Relax, a firefighter is coming over with the hydraulic cutters. You'll be out in a minute."

She rolled her head back and let out a long breath. "What did you find at those addresses?"

"Well, they were at the address you sent me. We just missed them. We found Tobias' phone." She frowned. "Darius is searching the other one."

"That's how they found us. Dammit Gale. I feel like shit." Katniss thought for a second. "Oh crap, I almost forgot." Katniss uncrumpled the paper with something written on it. "Here's the plate number. Get it out there. And here's the keys. Put what's in the trunk in your car."

A firefighter showed up with the brake cutter and got Katniss out in a few minutes. "Thanks guys." Katniss shooed away the medic that was chasing her down. "Just get away from me." She locked herself in Gale's car.

"You know Kat, you should let them check you out."

"Get in and let's get out of here."

Gale got behind the wheel and started the big ass Suburban. "Where are we off to?"

"I need aspirin. My head is throbbing."

Gale raised his eyebrows as he drove off. "Of course your head aches. You just escaped from a trash compactor."

She pointed to the deli on the corner. "Here's good." She bought a bottle of aspirin and sat at a table. "Jesus Christ. I can't believe I lost her." Katniss always beat herself up when things went wrong. She usually felt there was something she could have done to stop what happened.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"

Gale braced himself for the usual slam from Kat, but it didn't come. "That's alright." Katniss knew she had to get her emotions in check so they could plan their next move. Gale's phone rang and he answered it. She rubbed her temples. Her head felt like it was going to explode.

"Okay thanks," Gale said. "They're tracking Tris' ankle bracelet. She ran west."

"Let's roll." Katniss' brain bounced around her skull. "Drive around the potholes please."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tris' heart exploded as she ran. The sweat burned her eyes. The car that chased her got stuck in traffic, two guys got out and ran after her. She turned onto the avenue, ducked into a souvenir shop and mingled with the tourists. Pain shot up from her abdomen and she buckled over from cramps. She curled up behind a clothing rack and bent in two.

Tris' mind wondered. Images of her mother flew through her. She felt her hair and remembered the trim her mother gave her just last week. Now she was gone. Tears trickled down her cheek. She ran her sleeve across her nose and sniffled.

"HEY, YOU LITTLE GIRL. GET OUT OF THERE!"

A pair of feet appeared in front of her. She followed the legs up and saw a pair of eyes behind Coke-bottle thick glasses.

"I said get up!" Tris rubbed her shin where the woman's pointy shoe kicked her. "Let's go!"

"Okay, okay. Relax." Tris got up and stumbled down the aisle. She blended in with the crowd outside and got on the double decker tourist bus. She sat in the rear of the top deck and didn't see her pursuers as she peered over the edge. She rubbed her leg and felt the ankle bracelet. "Damn."

She stood and looked at the stores they passed. "'scuse me." She bolted down the stairs and jumped off the bus at the next stop.

Small stores dotted the city and this one suited Tris' needs. She looked around and the clerk was busy with a customer. She sought out what she needed by herself.

"This'll do." She put the jaws of the two foot long bolt cutters around the bracelet and snipped it off.

_... beep ... beep ... beep ... _

Her eyes got tremendous at the volume and ear piercing tone of the bracelet.

_... BEEP ... BEEP ... BEEP ..._

She kicked it under a display rack and walked down the aisle with her hands over her ears.

**_... BEEP ... BEEP ... BEEP ..._**

She eyed the unattended cash register and felt the few coins that lined her pocket; she punched a button on the register and took a handful of bills from the draw.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"She's in this area," Gale said. "In that hardware store."

"Something's going on in there, hear that?" Katniss covered her ears as she entered the store.

"OH GOD! TURN IT OFF!" The clerk yelled. "God dammit! I was robbed!"

Katniss flashed her badge and took the bracelet. Gale popped the trunk and she wrapped it in a blanket and slammed it shut.

"Where do you think she went?" Gale asked.

"Don't know. Looking for Tobias I suppose." Katniss rubbed her temples. Her chest tightened as she replayed what had happened this morning over and over in her head. She finally let out a long breath. "But, what does she know that we don't?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tris crossed her arms as she looked at her reflection in the shop window. Her muscles tensed and she rubbed the back of her neck. She took a handful of hair and ran it through her fingers. "I'll do it."

"Hello, young lady, you have such beautiful blonde hair." The woman behind the counter said.

Photos of women with various hair styles lined the walls. "I think it's time for a change." She decided that a hair style change would serve a dual purpose; she might feel better about herself and it would also serve as a disguise. "Short please."

"Oh, honey, are you sure?"

"Yup, and a dye job. Black, jet black."

"Okay, but I'll never forgive myself."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sunshine and a light breeze made for a perfect day to walk in the park with Lily. Glimmer enjoyed the time she spent in the park. Kids, moms, and nannies filled the playground, plus a few dads and mannies. Glimmer also took this time to see her friends.

With a lightness in her step, she crossed Central Park West and entered the park passing three young men. They stared at her, not unusual with her beautiful face, long blonde hair and perfect body.

As she neared the playground she heard the children playing. She saw her friends and walked towards the group of women. Glimmer's heart raced and the hair on the back of her neck raised. She didn't need a cop's training to confirm her suspicions. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the same three young men she saw when she entered the park. She knew it wasn't a coincidence. They followed her.

She pulled out her phone.

_"I'm in the park near the playground. We're being followed by 3 guys_

_...Are you near people_

_Almost_

_...Get to them. I'm on the way. I'm calling for a car to head to you_

_k"_

She quickened her step and glanced over her shoulder again; the distance between her and her pursuers narrowed. Her heart and breathing sped up. She walked faster, but the footsteps behind her grew louder. The playground neared, but she realized that the only thing her friends might do is witness an attack.

She heard the men talking among themselves and they were only about ten feet away. She took pushed the button on the pendant around her neck. The piercing siren alerted all around. Lily woke and wailed. Glimmer stopped and spun around. One of the guys put his hands over his ears and all three winced. They were within arms reach when she sprayed the can of mace at them.

The women in the playground looked up when they heard the alarm. "Over there!" Two of the three women closest to Glimmer raced to her aid. "We're on our way!" they screamed. One of her attackers fell to the ground. Another fled, but the third one charged Glimmer. Glimmer aimed the Taser and pulled the trigger. He froze and collapsed. On the ground his body convulsed. The other one screamed and tried to clear his eyes. By this time, the other two women reached Glimmer and pummeled the two attackers.

"ARE YOU OKAY!" Glimmer turned off the alarm and said, "yes."

Alerted by the alarm two mounted cops arrived. "What's the problem ma'am?"

"They followed me and were about to attack. One ran off."

"Ladies, could you stop beating them."

One of the nannies, Jamie, would have steam coming out of her ears if she were a cartoon character. "And take that!" Just one more kick for good measure.

"Can you describe him?" The officer asked.

"Male, five foot ten, dark short hair, jeans, blue and white striped shirt, light skinned Hispanic, early twenties."

Officer Carl Rogers eyes got wide after hearing Glimmer's detailed description. He and Bugsy took off after the suspect.

Carl Rogers spent the last three of his twenty-five year career with his six foot tall partner. He had a good view from his high perch and spotted a man in a blue and white striped shirt rubbing his eyes. He nudged Bugsy and they approached the suspect. The guy ran when he spotted them. Even carrying over 250 pounds, Bugsy caught up with the suspect with ease. They weaved between the pedestrians in pursuit of the young man. The guy finally tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. Officer Rogers dismounted and patted Bugsy. "Good horse."

After cuffing the suspect a few children surrounded the horse. "What's his name?"

"Bugsy."

"Can I pet him?"

"Sure. We have a saying, _No one ever pets a police car._"

* * *

Katniss' heart sunk when they arrived at the scene. She saw three police cars, two ambulances and a mounted officer. As soon as Gale stopped the car she leapt out. She ran through the crowd and searched for a recognizable face. "Oh, thank God!" Katniss took the giggling Lily out of the carriage and squeezed her. Lily just played with her mother's necklace.

Kat threw one arm around Glimmer. "Thank God you're both alright. Tell me what happened."

Glimmer explained what happened and how she and the other nannies subdued two of the attackers. "A third one got away." Glimmer said.

"Not for long." The mounted officer said as he pointed to Officer Rogers and Bugsy escorting one suspect.

"Detective, two of them are going to the hospital. One is going to the precinct." An officer said.

Katniss looked at Gale for a second. "We'll take him in." The officer complied.

"Glimmer, the officers are going to take you home. A guard will be posted. Don't go out." Katniss handed Lily over to her nanny.

"Are we going for a ride Kat?" Gale asked. Katniss didn't answer, she just got in her seat.

"Thanks, officer." Katniss and Gale cuffed the suspect and put him in their car. They left the park and headed towards the West Side. They drove to a section of Manhattan filled with parking lots and auto repair garages. Most of the businesses closed already.

Katniss turned around and asked, "what's your name?"

"I don't have to tell you notin'," he said. He looked out the windows and realized they had other plans. "Hey, what precinct are we going to?" Katniss and Gale ignored him. Sweat built up on his forehead. He squirmed in the backseat. "HEY! WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE GOIN'?"

Katniss and Gale remained quiet. "Pull in here," Katniss told Gale.

Gale pulled into an empty lot between two old warehouses. He drove to the back, made a u-turn, stopped the car, turned off the engine and got out. Katniss turned around to the guy and asked, "what were you going to do to that woman and baby?"

"We were just walkin' along when she maced us. We weren't do notin'"

"I'm only going to ask you one more time. What were you going to do?"

"Fuck you." He turned his head away from Katniss. Gale opened the rear door and dragged him out. "Hey! Watch it!" Gale led him over to the fence and lifted his cuffed arms up as high as he could and used a second pair of handcuffs to attach him to the fence.

"You can't fuckin' do this to me. I got rights you know. I want my lawyer!"

Katniss paced in front of him. Her prisoner's eyes followed her back and forth. "We're going to start with a simple question; what is your name."

"I ain't tellin' you notin' strung up like this."

"I'm going to give you one more chance. Tell me your name." Katniss said.

"FUCK YOU BITCH! HEY, SOMEONE HELP ME!" Katniss turned around and opened the car trunk. She held something up. "You know what this is?"

"Yeah, big deal, it's a Taser. I ain't afraid of that." He said.

"You've been stunned before?" She asked.

"Yeah, it ain't no big deal."

"Where on your body were you stunned?"

"Near my shoulder."

Katniss nodded and walked in a circle. "Well, I'm not stunning your shoulder." She paused again. "You're going to find out how much electricity other parts of your body can take."

The guy recoiled. "Holy shit! You're a crazy bitch!"

Katniss sauntered towards the suspect.

"Hey, you over there! You gonna let her do this?" Gale had his back to the pair and ignored the pleas of the cuffed suspect.

Katniss aimed the Taser at his forehead. His eyes crossed trying to see the Taser that touched his forehead. "Do you want to see what effect this will have on your brain?"

She moved it to his chest. His breathing became quick and shallow. "Or maybe your heart."

"No, I have a better idea." She moved it below his belt. "Maybe your balls?"

The suspect crossed his legs. "HELP! HELP! OH, SHIT YOU'RE NUTS!"

Katniss smiled at his choice of words. "And your's will be fried."

"Ready?" She asked him.

"No! No! No! You can't!

"Aim."

"Alright! Alright already! What do you want to know?"

Katniss smiled and lowered the stun gun. "Tell me your name.

"Ramiro Cruz."

"Now tell me why you were about to attack that woman and the baby."

"We were going to take the baby."

"Why?"

"Someone hired us."

"How much were you getting?"

"Nothing."

"Then why? For kicks?" He hesitated and diverted his eyes. Katniss raised her voice. "Then for what? You want this instead?"

His eyes got tremendous. "NO! Okay, okay! They are some big time drug dealers. They got this new shit. We were gonna get the first crack at it. If we grabbed the kid and handed it over to them."

"Where were you going to bring the baby?"

"I wasn't told. I just had a number to call when I was ready."

"What's the number?"

"It's in my phone."

Katniss and Gale went through his possessions. "Here's the phone." Gale found the number and got out of the car. "Listen asshole. You're gonna tell him you have the baby. Get the instructions."

"What'll I get if I do?"

"I won't blow your head off," Katniss said.

"I'll dial it," Gale said as he put Cruz in the backseat. He instructed him on what to say and put the phone on speaker. "Got it?" Cruz nodded his head.

_... Yeah_

_It's me. I got the kid_

_... Meet me at Eleventh Avenue and Forty-fifth Street_

_Look, I'm hot. I'm sending someone else_

_... How will I know him?_

_Her. She'll be wearing a Cubs jersey. I figured you'd recognize her. Funny, eh?_

_... Yeah, hilarious. Anyway, I'm a White Sox fan._ (click)

"Good boy." Gale tapped Cruz's face.

"Now what?" Cruz asked.

"You and your friends are gonna cool your heels in a cell until we catch these guys." Katniss turned back to Cruz. "Just one more thing. Where's Tobias Eaton?"

"Who the fuck is that?"

"Never mind."

* * *

"April, are you ready?" Being the youngest and newest member of the squad, Detective April Purnia volunteered for the assignment. This was her first shot to stand out. She donned a Cubs jersey and a transceiver. "How do you read us?" Katniss asked.

April gave the thumbs up. "How will I know them?" She asked.

"They'll find you."

Detective Connie Rodriguez wrapped the baby and put it in the car seat. "I'll be in the car and Carol will be close by. Go get 'em April."

Katniss took her position in the command vehicle. They had eyes and ears on the scene. April puttered around waiting for her contact. More sweat soaked her every minute she waited. Every person who passed her could be her target.

"Excuse me." A short black man with his over-sized pants and sideways cap stood in front of her. She kept her eyes on his hands just in case he reached for a weapon.

"Yeah."

He fumbled with his words and said, "do you... you... you... know wha... what time it is?"

April's heart returned to normal and her breathing slowed. "Yeah, it's about six."

"Tha... thanks." And he walked away.

"April, you okay?" Katniss said to her through her earpiece. She nodded yes.

Fifteen minutes past the time April was to meet her contact Katniss paced in the truck. She bit her lip before taking the mic. "April, we'll give it five more minutes," Katniss said. She nodded again.

"Where's the baby?" A young woman asked. April backed up. She felt her heart pound. She wiped her hands on her pants. The woman was in her late teens with short red hair. Her arms were tattooed. She didn't crack a smile.

"Well?" The woman asked. April studied her. She made a mental note of her height, five foot six, hair color, bright red, age, late teens, markings, many, demeanor, stoic.

"Who sent you?" She stared at April and didn't answer. "How do I know your boss will hold up his side of the deal?"

"You givin' me the baby or what?"

April concluded she wasn't getting any info from this girl. "This way," she led her to the car. "She's in the back." April opened the door and the girl leaned in.

She pulled the blanket away. Her eyes got tremendous when two glass eyes met hers. "What are you trying to pull?"

Carol held her badge up. "Don't move." The girl backed out and Connie and April subdued her. Together they searched and cuffed the girl. "Get in." They slid her into the backseat. "We got her." Carol radioed Katniss. "Lily can have her doll back."

"Gale, you see anything?" Gale and Jimmy Darius were on lookout duty. They were sure someone would be keeping an eye on the pickup. After they saw the girl arrested they would go back to the gang. "Nothing yet Kat."

"Darius, anything?"

"No."

Katniss knew it was a long-shot, but it was worth the shot.

"I got something," Gale said. "He's in a black Toyota going westbound on Forty-fifth.

Katniss left the command truck and sped to the west side. She turned north on Twelfth Avenue betting they did the same. "Gale, I got them on Twelfth going north."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"We're on our way." Gale and Darius, in separate cars, joined Katniss in the pursuit.

"Gale, I'll bail out at Fifty-ninth street. You take over. I'll drop to the rear." Katniss said.

The three cars played tag team on the West Side Highway. Weaving in and out of traffic was dangerous, but doing it during rush hour was a nightmare. Katniss had trouble keeping her hands from sliding off the steering wheel.

"They're getting off at Ninety-sixth street," Darius said. "They pulled over and they're getting out." The two guys from the car went into the subway. "Darius, keep an eye on the car. Gale, follow them into the subway. I'll be above you." Katniss said.

Gale hurried down the steps. He pulled out his wallet to get his Metrocard. "Shit! Where is it?" Jumping the turnstile would attract too much attention. His hair blew as the breeze increased.

"Crap!" He checked his shirt pocket. The rumble got louder.

"God dammit!" No one heard him over the deafening roar. "Got it!"

After he went through the turnstile he looked both ways on the platform. To the left was a lighter crowd. Most groups of New Yorkers looked alike. There were teenagers, businessmen and women, tradesmen, but no tourists this far north. Gale didn't see the suspects so he did an 180 and ran to the other end of the platform.

The thicker crowd still looked the same. It wasn't until he got to the front of the platform when he spotted the young men he was looking for. They stood in front of the subway car door. Gale jumped in just before the doors closed.

Gale wanted to signal his partners that he had them, but he was out of contact. He sat down and kept an eye on his phone. He should get his signal back when the train exited the tunnel and traveled along the elevated track.

Katniss didn't know Gale's location. She did know he was on a northbound train, but she wouldn't know what stop he got off at until she heard from him. "Stay here until patrol shows up for the car. Then give me a call to find out where we are." Darius nodded yes and Katniss went north on Broadway.

Gale held onto the overhead bar and rocked back and forth as the train went through the tunnel. Sunlight streamed through the windows when the train moved onto the elevated tracks.

_... im passing 125 st_

_ ... on my way_

Katniss put her foot to the floor and tried to catch up with the train. She weaved in and out of traffic and looked up continuously to see if she'd caught up yet. "Darius, he's on the Seven Line passing 125th Street."

"I'm leaving now," Darius said.

Gale gave the two guys a wide birth. He stayed on the other end of the car. The two got up as they entered the last stop in Manhattan. Gale got off also.

_... off at 215_

_ ... b there soon_

He stayed about ten yards behind them and tried to mingle with the other people leaving the station.

Just as the train was about to leave they jumped back on the train in between the cars. By the time Gale saw them the train was moving too fast for him to catch it.

_... lost them. they are back on train to the bronx_

_ ... got it_

Katniss sped up again, but it was no use. There was too much traffic to catch up with the train. Katniss slammed her hands against the wheel. They'd lost them.

* * *

Tris marveled at how different she looked. She smiled and finished packing her new belongings. A few days change of underwear and socks, snacks and drinks filled her backpack.

"Anything else?" The clerk asked.

"Yeah, this." She placed the prepaid smartphone on the counter and paid the bill. Tris stomach grumbled. She walked across the street to a diner and sat in the rear booth.

"Hi, what'll you have sweetie?" Tris smiled. She had never met this woman, but she appreciated a friendly face.

"Cheeseburger deluxe, Coke please."

"Okay, be a few minutes." Tris' chest got tight when she realized the waitress was staring at her. She pretended not to notice. "You know, that hair style suits you, I was thinking of getting mine cut like that."

"Oh thanks, I had it done at the place down the block."

"I'll check them out."

After she ordered Tris wanted to make plans to find Tobias but didn't know where to start. "I might not know, but Tobias might."

She logged onto the phone as Tobias. Everything Tobias had worked on was available to her. Browsing history, search history, and even the password to ... "bingo," email accounts. "Let's see what these guys are hiding."

* * *

Tris descended into the hole in the ground. She rode the 'L' all the time in Chicago so navigating New York's Subway should be easy. She bought her Metrocard and went through the turnstile. After studying the map, she boarded an uptown train to The Bronx.

Her lead was weak, but it was the only lead she had. One local address in Eric's email.

The breeze increased and papers laying on the ground flew through the air. She squinted to keep the dirt out of her eyes. The rumble of the train drowned out all the city's noises. The squeal of the brakes echoed through the station.

She boarded the car, found a seat and stared into the dark tunnel.

* * *

"Now what?" Gale asked. Katniss wandered away from her two detectives. She held her chin in her hands and looked north. "Why The Bronx? Do they know someone up there or are they leaving town?"

_...ring ...ring ...ring_ "Yeah Emma?"

"You got news?" Her captain asked.

"Yeah, we lost them. They're in The Bronx." Katniss said.

"Then this is interesting. The car they were driving was stolen near the Tremont train station."

"That probably means they're staying somewhere in that neighborhood. We'll see if we can get an address from the known associates list."

"Okay, keep me informed."

Katniss turned to Gale and Darius. "We have a small lead. The car was stolen from Tremont Av."

"Meaning they're hiding out close by," Gale said. "Let's get their pictures out to the local precinct."

The two cars crossed the bridge over the Harlem River. It was about a fifteen-minute drive to the neighborhood. That left Katniss with plenty of time to think about what had transpired today. Her daughter was almost kidnaped. She threatened to stun a suspect. The girl she was supposed to protect was gone.

* * *

Tris arrived at the address. She hid across the street on a set of stairs that led to a basement. She moved a couple of garbage cans aside so she had a good view of the house and scrunched her nose. The smell made her miss the little hotel room she shared with Katniss.

She reached into her backpack and pulled out a snack. As she ate she noticed a pair of black eyes staring at her. The rat would probably run away if she stomped her foot, but she tossed a piece of the granola bar. It sniffed it, took a bite and ran to rummage through a nearby garbage bag. She looked at her snack and wondered if the rat knew something she didn't.

She settled in for what might be a long wait.

And she hoped it wasn't a long wait, she had to pee. "Damn." It would be easy for a guy to add fresh urine smell to the already pungent hideout, but not for a girl.

Just as she was about to give in to her bladder someone caught eye. "Eric."

Eric didn't have an ounce of body fat on him. Not bulky like a weight-lifter but his tight shirt showed his sculpted body. He'd changed a little since she'd last saw him in Chicago; he grew a beard and mustache. He kept it close-cropped and neat. His long sleeves hid his tattoos on his arms, but not his neck.

Another man walked in front of Eric. He looked older, like he was in charge. They entered the house.

Tris left her dank hiding place and ran across the street. A small alley separated the house Eric went into and its neighbor. She tried to pull herself up and peek through the windows. When that failed she stood on a garbage can.

Tris saw four figures. Two were probably Eric and his friend. One of the other could be Tobias. The body shape was about right, but he was on the other side of the room and she couldn't see much through the grime on the windows and the yellowed lace curtains.

Tris' lips trembled. She put her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Eric pulled out a gun and shot the two. She lost her balance and fell off the garbage can. The window opened and Eric's black, soulless eyes peered at her.

"You little bitch!" Every muscle tensed in her body when she saw the barrel of the gun. She leaped up and ran. The felt the bullet whiz by her ear, but she heard no sound.

She didn't know where to go so she just ran. A chain-link link fence stood in front of her and she scurried over it like a squirrel. Tris didn't hear any footsteps behind her so she slowed down and glanced over her shoulder. She lost them.

Tris' muscles could no longer support her weight. She leaned against the wall and collapsed. Her heart rate sped up when she imagined Tobias in a pool of blood with a bullet in his head, like her parents.

* * *

Katniss, Gale and Darius arrived on Tremont Avenue. The stood together when Gale finally spoke up, "We got nothing."

"He's right. Unless they're spotted or we're given an address, we're at a dead end." Darius added.

_... 46 Adam, 46 Charlie respond to 1985 Grand Avenue. Report of shots fired in the house_

_... 46 Adam responding_

_... 46 Charlie responding_

_... 46 Sargeant responding_

"Did you hear that?" Katniss said.

Gale raised his eyebrows. "You think it's related?"

"I don't know. But it's something." Kat called dispatch.

_... Car 451 to dispatch_

_... Go 451_

_... Who called it in the shooting?_

_... Cell phone call to 911. We called back but no answer. Cell tower trace puts the caller in the neighborhood. 911 _operator _described her as a young female_

_... Thanks. Detectives Hawthorne and Darius are going to respond to your shooting. Give me the phone number_

_... 845 555 8747_

_... 10-4_

"Now I think it's related. I'm going to look for Tris."

Katniss dialed the number, no answer, and the voicemail hadn't been set up. "She bought a new phone. What's a teenager without a phone."

_..._ _Tris, it's me Kat. Text or call me back._ Katniss texted.

Katniss dropped the phone in the cupholder and drove off. "Now let's see. You saw the shooting, you ran and now you're hunkered down in some alley." Katniss drove up and down side streets and looked down every driveway and alley for the little girl with long blonde hair.

Katniss bit her lip and couldn't stop tapping her left foot. "Where are you?"

_... ring ... ring ... ring_

"Tris?"

"Oh God, he shot Tobias?"

"Tris, where are you?"

"I'm going to kill Eric."

"Tris please. Where are you?" Tris didn't answer back, but the call was still open. "Tris, are you there?"

In a low voice, almost a whimper, "yeah."

"Where are you?"

"In the courtyard of an apartment house."

"What's the address?"

"1910 University Avenue."

"Tris, stay hidden until I get there. I'll hit my siren. Okay?" No answer. "Tris, okay?'

"Okay."

* * *

_... whoop ... whoop_

Katniss waited for Tris. She didn't emerge. "Dammit." She got out and slammed her door. She walked to the building edge and peeked into the courtyard. Worry replaced anger. Did they catch Tris before she got here? Katniss slithered down the courtyard as if she were hunting in the woods back home. The only person visible was a girl with black hair. Katniss holstered her sidearm and approached her.

"Excuse me, I'm with the police. Did you see a young girl with blonde hair about your age in the courtyard?"

The girl looked up, "no."

Katniss frowned, "anybody you don't recognize from the neighborhood?"

"Yeah, a girl with black hair."

"About your age and height?" She nodded. "Where did she go?"

"She left with two white guys. They gave me the creeps."

"Why?"

The girl shivered, "too many tattoos."

* * *

The two detectives arrived at the house. The yard in front of the house choked with weeds, its paint faded and flaked, the lace curtains in its windows yellowed with age. There were no shadows against the window shades. Gale directed the uniformed cops to the rear. He and Darius went to the front door. Silence met them when he knocked. Gale tried the front door. The doorknob turned and he pushed the door open. The hair on the back of his neck stood straight up.

Their eyes moved from wall to wall. Magazines and newspapers were strewn across the room. Clothes were piled on the furniture. Urine smell burnt her nostrils. He walked towards the archway at the other end of the room. Gale felt like he went through a time warp. The kitchen cabinetry looked just like the ones in his grandparents old apartment in this same neighborhood. The stench of urine became more intense. The Bronx cops were visible through the kitchen window. Gale unlocked the rear door.

Gale pointed to a room off the kitchen. Darius opened the door. He mouthed, "the bathroom." Gale nodded. Another door was off the kitchen. Gale opened the door. Clothes, dishes and food lay on the furniture. He spotted something on the floor and slid his feet along the wood floor until it came into view.

First was the hand, then the arm, then the dark brown hair laying in a pool of blood. Further down was the second body. "Darius, two bodies," Darius looked and left the room to search the upstairs.

* * *

"Gale."

"In here."

"Find her?"

"Almost. They got her. Was it Tobias?" Katniss asked.

"No, I have their IDs. This guy is Rivera and that one is Guzman. They both have Romiro Cruz's number in their phones. Uniforms are canvassing the area. Now we have two more dead drug dealers. These Dauntless guys don't leave anybody alive. Do they?" Gale said as they searched the room. "Why would they kill them? Maybe it was retaliation for getting Cruz and his group getting arrested."

"That's a high price for failure," Katniss said. "Maybe they knew something and Dauntless didn't want us to find out." Katniss and Gale waded through the mess looking for any clue that might lead them to the gang and their kidnaped victims. "It'll take us months to go through all this crap," Katniss said. "It would even take Glimmer a month to clean up this stuff. Tell CSU to get us a fingerprint report asap. I'm sure they weren't wearing rubber gloves when they were here."

Gale looked at some photos spread on the dresser. "Kat, these are the victims. It looks like they like the woods." They looked at a group of photos of the victims and others around a small cabin. "They're dated last summer. It's hard to believe that after a day of selling smack they went out in the woods to track and shoot a deer."

"Take the photos. Let's see if we can identify anybody else. Speak to Bronx narcotics for help."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Katniss parked her car in her personal parking spot. One of the perks of having an official police vehicle. Another patrol car parked in front of her building. An officer spied her, she flashed her badge and ID, he waved back.

Inside stood another officer with the doorman. "Hi Jerry."

"Detective, this is Officer Matt Jennings." She shook the officer's hand.

"There will be a car outside, someone in the lobby and someone posted outside your apartment."

"Thanks, Matt. If you need anything just call the apartment." He nodded thanks.

The doorman followed Katniss to the elevator with a noticeable limp. "Leg bothering you tonight?" She asked.

"No more than normal." Jerry took a bullet thirty years ago in a store robbery gone bad. He got shot in the knee. The shooter left with nothing, not even his life. Jerry retired on a disability pension. He cheered up when Katniss moved in. He got to talk cop shop again.

"Listen, call Kim's Deli and order them dinner. Send me the bill."

"They already ate. Your nanny, Sharon, brought them food. They fell over themselves when they saw her. I almost had to hose them down."

"Do you blame them Jerry. Jeez, I'd think there was something wrong with them if they didn't."

Jerry chuckled, then his face took a serious turn, "listen, one other thing. Mr. Mellark is home."

Katniss nodded her head, she moved Jerry's jacket open, "I never saw you carry before."

"Never needed to."

"That revolver's kinda old, does it still work?"

"Works well enough. Oh, Tom Gallagher and Barry Gray are working the other shifts. You'll have 24-hour protection."

"Thanks, Jerry." She kissed him on the cheek. He blushed.

Katniss saw a familiar face outside her door, "Tanya, what are you doing here?"

"As soon as I found out it was you, I volunteered."

"Thanks."

"Um, before you go in, one thing ..."

"I know, Peeta's home. Thanks."

"Good luck."

Katniss twisted her wedding band when she smelled the odors coming from their apartment. She couldn't place them all, but the apricot made her smile. She had trouble putting the key in the door. At first Katniss doubted she stood in front of her apartment door. She finally realized she had the wrong key. She fumbled with the key and finally let herself in.

Katniss' knees wobbled when she saw Lily. She giggled and reached out for her mother. Tears welled up behind Kat's eyelids and she stumbled back a step. A slow smile appeared when she walked towards the baby. She picked up Lily and squeezed her tight.

"Every one of us is okay." Glimmer said. "I'll be in the studio." Glimmer made a quick exit when Peeta appeared.

"Hi," Katniss said.

"Hey." Her mouth got dry. She kissed Peeta, but his lips stayed pressed together. He diverted his eyes.

"Glimmer was great today," Katniss said.

"Yeah, she was." Peeta went back to the kitchen and stirred the dinner.

"We caught the guys involved," Katniss said.

"Uh um."

She sat in front of Lily's highchair; her knee bounced up and down as she tried to feed Lily. "We have some leads on who paid them."

"Uh um."

She took a deep breath. Katniss' face tightened at Peeta's intentional quietness. "It's almost time for Lily to go to bed," Peeta said.

"Just a little while longer." Katniss cradled Lily and sat in the world's most comfortable chair. Every muscle in her body relaxed and her eyelids drooped.

She woke up when the weight on her lap disappeared. She spied Peeta taking Lily to bed. She realized it wasn't fair to use Lily as a human shield. Her chest got tight when she thought about the coming confrontation with Peeta. She got up and poured herself a glass of wine. Her throat welcomed the refreshing beverage.

_...slam_

Katniss' drink had a sour taste to it now. The tightness in her chest joined the sinking feeling in her stomach. She turned the knob to the bedroom and walked in. Under the covers, Peeta faced the wall. "Is this what it's going to be like?" Peeta said.

"What?" Katniss said.

"You know what. Besides worrying about you. I have to worry that our daughter will be in danger."

"She's safe, we can keep her safe."

"We didn't today." It took a lot to get Peeta angry but when it came to his family...

"We trusted Glimmer and she came through."

"She's a nanny, not a bodyguard."

"Peeta, what do you what me to do?" Katniss regretted asking a loaded question the second she asked it.

_...ring ...ring ...ring_ Katniss answered the phone.

"Can't you ever not be at work?" Peeta said.

"Peeta, let me answer this. I'll only be a minute."

Peeta took his pillows. "Never mind. I'll sleep on the sofa."

"Hi Connie. ... See if you can find out anything about Rivera's and Guzman's cars. The Dauntless members may have taken one of them. ... Talk to you in the morning." Katniss hung up the phone. She pulled her legs into her body tight and let Peeta go. They both needed time to cool off.

* * *

Glimmer blinked her eyes till they came into focus. A man's silhouette stood out against the moonlight streaming through the window. "Mr. Mellark?"

"Yes Glimmer."

Seeing Peeta awake early in the morning wasn't unusual. Early tee times and early flights for business meetings happened all the time. Seeing Lily packed in her stroller wasn't normal. "Where are you and Lily going?"

"I'm taking her to my parents."

"Does Mrs. Mellark know?"

"No." Glimmer stepped towards his bedroom door. "Don't tell Katniss until we leave. Unless you want a scene."

"But don't you think ..." Glimmer's heart skipped a beat when Peeta glared at her. She stepped back away from his door.

"Good-bye."

"Have a safe trip." Peeta grabbed the car seat and pushed the sleeping Lily to the hallway.

"Mr. Mellark. Mrs. Mellark didn't say you were leaving so early." The officer outside the door said. Peeta ignored the officer. "Maybe I should check with Mrs. Mellark."

"Officer, you don't have permission to enter my apartment. Excuse me." Peeta pushed the carriage around her.

"I don't think it's a good idea ..."

"I don't care what you think officer. You have no right to stop me." Peeta strolled into the elevator and disappeared.

Glimmer bite the inside of her cheek. "I'll tell Mrs. Mellark."

* * *

Still dark when Katniss opened her eyes, she looked at her phone. "4AM. Ugh." Her eyes teared up when she felt the empty spot next to her. Kat rubbed her eyes and sat up. She got up and peeked in on Lily. Her eyes got wide when she saw the empty crib. A light shown from the kitchen and she heard cabinet doors open and close.

"Glimmer, where's Lily."

Glimmer bit her lip and gave Katniss a mug of tea. "Um, I was just coming to tell you, Mr. Mellark took her to his parents house."

Katniss squeezed her arms tight around her chest and tears streamed out. Katniss' breathing became quick and the tears flowed faster.

"Give Mr. Mellark a little room to cool off. I'm sure everything will work out."

Katniss sniffled and wiped her nose and eyes. "Um, I'm going to shower and change." Katniss dropped her nightshirt on the floor and turned on the shower. She stepped in and spun around under the warm water.

She dried herself off and called Glimmer. Glimmer's mouth flew open and a loud gasp escaped her mouth. "Mrs. Mellark, what happened?"

Katniss stood in front of the full-length mirror. Her eyes examined her bruised chest.

"You have every color of the rainbow on you."

"Don't exaggerate Glimmer. There's only black, blue, red and yellow."

"And blue and yellow make green. And I see green right there." Glimmer touched Katniss with a feather-light touch. Katniss winced and shifted her body. "What happened?"

"I was in a car accident."

"Did you see a doctor?"

"No, if I did they'd put me on medical."

"And they'd be right."

She handed Glimmer an Ace Bandage. "Wrap me tight." She raised her arms while Glimmer wrapped Katniss so tight her chest flattened. "I can't breath."

"Want me to loosen it?" Katniss shook her head.

"Thanks, Glimmer." Katniss dialed her phone. "Hi Daddy."

"What's wrong?" Katniss explained Lily's attempted kidnapping and Peeta's leaving. "Give him time honey."

"I know Dad. I need you to do something. Keep an eye on Lily."

"You don't have to worry about her. I don't think you mother or Peeta's mother will let her out of their sight. And besides, half the town is either a cop or a retired cop."

"Thanks, Dad. I know she'll be in good hands." She paused a few seconds. "One other thing Dad. Ask Peeta's father to keep an eye on Peeta. I'm worried about him."

"We will."

"Bye Daddy."

_... ring ... ring ... ring_ "Yeah Gale?"

"We have a lead. Guzman's car went through the toll booth in Ulster County, Exit 20."

"I wonder if they're going to that cabin in the photo."

"I thought so also. I've sent the photo to the Ulster County Sheriff."

"Pick me up as soon as you can."

"Road trip?"

"Yup."

Katniss dressed in her hunting outfit. Boots, jeans and a denim shirt. Her father's old hunting jacket topped it off.

"Glimmer, Gale is picking me up." Glimmer handed her a shopping bag. "What's this?"

"Two bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast. Four sandwiches for lunch. Twelve bottles of water. Tea in one travel mug, coffee in the other. An assortment of snacks." Katniss cocked her head. "Yes, I included Kit-Kat bars."

Katniss welcomed Glimmer's soft hug. "Thank you."

"Be safe."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Hey look, Sleeping Beauty is awake." Tris felt someone poke her shoulder. She tried to straighten herself up, but the pain in her head made her a little woozy. The grating voice bounced around her head. "Come on girl, wake up." She blinked and saw Max in the front seat driving and Eric next to her.

"I see you really do get your kicks from bouncing around little girls." Eric chuckled before he slapped her across the face.

She felt the blood ooze out of the cut. "Now look what you did." He examined his hand. "You got blood all over my ring."

Tris looked at the cars they passed on the highway. No moonlight nor streetlamps kept her from seeing where the car headed, but she knew New York City got smaller in the rear view mirror.

She worried about Tobias. She doubted they killed him; the Dauntless liked to make their killings public. If everyone knew how they silenced their rivals, no one would stand in their way. "How much further?" Eric asked Max.

"Just a few more minutes."

They pulled into a rest stop that resembled a log built hunting lodge. Tall, motionless pine trees surrounded the parking lot. Tris saw a sign, north on the New York State Thruway. "They're over there," Max said. They drove to the far side of the parking lot and pulled next to a car. A bulky man without a neck sat in the driver's seat. She wondered how someone so muscle-bound could move. His moon shaped face with peach fuzz belied his age. Close cropped hair topped him off. Peter looked slight sitting next to him.

A sweat ball formed on her nose when the door opened and hot and humid air hit her.

A head bobbed up in the back seat of the other car. Tris covered her mouth with her hand and she gasped. Tears welled up behind her eyelids when she saw Tobias. She didn't know if he could see her. His normally bright eyes barely blinked due to the swelling. She whispered to him. "Tobias, what've they done to you."

"Let's get outta here as soon as possible," Max said. "I want to be back on the road in a few minutes."

Eric pointed to the other car. "Park it out back."

Max grabbed Tobias by the arm and put him in the middle seat. Eric and Peter sat in the back seat. Tris joined Tobias in the middle; Max and the Drew sat in the front. She took Tobias' hand and gently kissed him. She moved the hair out of his eyes. He looked at her through the slits. "Oh Tobias, why are they doing this?" She leaned into him. He shifted until he found a position he could bare.

"We'll find a way out." His whispered words reassured her, but she couldn't see how they could escape. It was four against two and the Dauntless were armed.

"I know," she said back.

Tris wasn't sure how far they drove after she drifted off, but they left the Thruway.

"Which way?" Drew, the driver, asked.

Max slapped him in the back of the head. "Just follow the GPS you idiot."

Tris and Tobias bounced back and forth as they drove along the country roads. Tobias grimaced as he brought his hands up and guarded his chest. He remained quiet; he didn't want his captors to know the extent of his injuries. She moved the hair out of his eyes and spotted a small sparkle.

"Holy Christ! How much farther is this place?" Peter whined.

"Shut up asshole," Eric said.

Tris rolled her eyes. The four bickered like four old men arguing politics over coffee at her local diner.

"Couldn't we just have driven straight home instead of going all the way up here. It takes us way out of our way," Peter said.

"ERIC! Shut him up!"

"We're in a hot car dick. We gotta change to the one up at the cabin." Eric said. "Now shut your trap!"

Tobias leaned into Tris, "look for any chance to escape."

Tris mouthed, "no, not without you."

"If you get away. Find help."

Tobias' head flew forward. "You two. Shut up." Eric said.

Tobias squeezed Tris' hand. That comforted her little.

* * *

Drew turned onto a dirt road. They bounced up and down with each pothole driven through.

"Turn here," Max ordered.

They approached a one story log cabin. Shutters covered the windows. Weeds and untrimmed hedges surrounded the building. It hadn't been cared for since last year. Drew parked the SUV around back, out of sight, next to another SUV.

Tobias leaned on Tris and walked to the cabin. A few Adirondack chairs adorned the porch, red paint peeling from the chair backs. A coffee can full of cigarette butts sat in between them.

A musty smell reached Tris' nose when Max opened the door. "We'll catch a couple of hours sleep before starting out again. You two, on the couch." Tris helped Tobias sit. Her eyes darted around the room. A picture window occupied the center of the wall. Smaller windows lined the walls of the dining room and the kitchen.

Tris stood, "I have to pee." Her four captors stared at her. One by one, she eyed each of them.

"Drew, take her. I don't want her smelling up the car." Max said.

Drew grabbed her arm and she lurched forward. "Let's go stiff. Don't take forever." He slammed the door of the windowless bathroom.

"I guess a bathroom with a large window was too much to ask for." She searched the small room for anything she could use as a weapon. The closet nor the medicine cabinet didn't offer any items of use. She looked under the sink. She stuck her finger on a piece of metal. She bent it back and forth to break it.

"Let's go Stiff! We ain't got all night. I gotta get some sleep."

"Relax. I'll be finished in a minute." She bent it faster and muttered to herself. "Come on, come on."

"NOW STIFF!"

She flushed the toilet and ran the sink. The metal broke off after a few more bends. She slid it in her pants. She ran her hands under the water and then opened the door.

"I need a towel."

"Wipe them on your pants." He shoved her back to the couch.

"You okay?" Tobias nodded yes. She took his hand and laid it on her pants. He felt the outline of the piece of metal. He squeezed her thigh. She lay her head on his lap and fell asleep.

* * *

Gale did a double-take when Katniss got in the Suburban. "Holy crap Katniss! You look like shit!" She had dark circles around her eyes and he could hear her labored breathing.

"I feel like shit," Katniss said.

"I think the ER is where we should be headed."

"Just drive."

"Where?"

"North." Gale put the car in gear and took off for their road trip. "What's in the bag?"

"Glimmer made us a care package."

"Outstanding." Gale drove the car with his knees as he unwrapped his breakfast sandwich.

... ring ... ring ... ring "Yeah Carol."

"You're going to meet the Ulster County Sheriff and someone from the State Police. I'll text you the address. We also sent that photo. He thought they might be able to identify it from a water tower in the background."

"Thanks, Carol. Let me know if you hear from them."

"Okay. Talk to you later."

Katniss plugged the address into the GPS. "Wake me up when we get there." Katniss turned to Gale whose cheeks resembled a chipmunk's. "I see you liked the sandwich."

"And your's too," Katniss shook her head at the bottomless pit called Gale's stomach. She reclined her seat and went to sleep.

_Lily, give me your hand._

_No Mommy._

_Please Lily, take my hand._

_No Mommy._

_Let's go Lily_

_Yes Daddy_

"OH!" Katniss blinked as the sun shined through the window.

"You have a nice rest?" Gale asked.

"No. It was a little unsettling. Are we there yet?"

"No, still got a ways." Katniss checked her phone. "You haven't heard from Peeta yet?"

Not sure if Gale knew Peeta had left, she kept quiet.

"He'll come around Kit Kat."

Katniss turned her head away from Gale as her eyes moistened.

"He was just angry because ..."

"I don't want to talk about it Gale. Just drive."

Knowing how stubborn Katniss could be, he turned his head back to the road.

* * *

The pain radiated across Tris' chest. "Get up Stiff!?"

She rubbed her shoulder. Peter almost ripped her arm out of its socket. "What the fuck is wrong with you asshole?" Her nose almost embedded in her brain after Peter's fist connected. She tasted the blood streaming down her face.

Peter picked her up and dragged her outside and dropped her on the grass. She opened her eyes and looked down the barrel of a gun. "I thought Jeanine wanted me alive."

"Thank God she finally found a new guinea pig to experiment on. I drew the long straw and won the privilege of blowing your brains out."

It all went black.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Tris leapt up from Tobias' lap. He moved the hair out of her eyes. The blue reminded him of a clear sky. He felt the sweat pouring from her brow. "You okay?"

Her heart pounded. "Yeah, just a bad dream." She took his face in her hands. The swelling went down and she could see his eyes. She moved in and their lips met. Like a drug rushing to her brain every muscle in her body relaxed.

"I'd tell you two love birds to get a room, but I can't. I also don't have to watch it. So break it up." Peter said.

Tris released Tobias, stood and stretched. She brushed her fingers across the scabbed cut on her face. She wondered if it'll scar? Tris imagined people asking about it. She would make up a cool story about how she escaped from her kidnappers. She hoped her story might hold some truth to it.

The front door flew open. Eric followed Max inside. "Let's go." The four grabbed their few possessions, left the building, and closed the door behind them.

"How far do you think they'll get before they notice they left us behind?" Tris asked.

Tobias sighed, "it would be too much to ask, wouldn't it." They shared a kiss and a brief giggle.

"Come on you two, let's go!" Peter screamed. "We don't got all day!"

* * *

"I got a question," Katniss said. Before Gale got a chance to say go ahead ... "I don't understand why Peeta is so angry. Lily is safe. I arranged for her protection. She'd be fine at home. But no, without even telling me what he's going to do, he takes off. I didn't even get to say good-bye. Now that's why I'm angry."

Mount Katniss exploded one rant after another. Gale brushed them aside like gnats circling a light.

"... and the thought of that mother-in-law of mine having Lily for that long really sets me off. So what do you think?"

"This is our exit."

"Were you even listening to me?"

"I gotta pull over and take a leak."

"Jesus Gale, if you don't want to talk about it ..." Gale got out and slammed the door. She stuck her tongue at him and then sighed at her juvenile outburst; she checked for any messages from Peeta. "Damn him."

... ring ... ring ... ring "Hey Carol."

"They identified the cabin. The sheriff department and SP are on their way now to raid it. I'll text you the address."

"Thanks, Carol." Katniss put her hand on the horn.

"Jeez, what's your problem?"

"They identified the cabin. They're raiding it now."

Trees, lots of trees occupied the vast spaces between the houses and the occasional business. Katniss loved her home in the city, but she longed to walk in the forest every once in a while.

"Hey Kat. Remember when we went hunting up here?"

"Yeah, but it's been awhile. Maybe this fall we'll go hunting together." Katniss looked out the window as the scenery zipped by. "I took Peeta hunting last year with my father."

"Peeta who?" Katniss turned to her left and glared at her lifelong friend.

"Don't give me that Peeta who crap. You know who. My husband, you asshole."

Gale laughed. "I know Kit Kat. It's just that he doesn't like hunting, and he makes too much noise."

Katniss giggled and had to agree with Gale. Peeta's plodding made him an awful hunting partner. Though heavier and taller, Gale seemed to float across the forest floor.

"Well, he shot a doe."

Gale almost drove off the road. "WHAT!"

"Yup, my dad saw it."

"I don't believe it."

"It's true. He shot ten beautiful photos. Then I pushed him out of the way and I plugged it."

Gale laughed and Katniss leaned back and closed her eyes. She visualized Peeta and Lily waiting for her when she got home. She took a long easy breath. The tensed muscles slacked and a smile appeared.

"We turn here." Gale snapped her back to reality.

They drove up the long dirt road and they stopped when they hit the long line of trooper cars.

Gray uniforms dominated the front yard. "Mellark, Hawthorne?" A deputy asked.

"Yes. Sheriff DeBuck is over here." Katniss frowned. Troopers and deputies milled around. She didn't see anybody in handcuffs, but no body bags relieved her.

A man of medium height with thick legs lumbered over. "I'm Sheriff DeBuck." His strong grip gave Katniss confidence in the Sheriff.

"I'm Detective Mellark and this is Detective Hawthorne."

Barrel-chested and a square-shouldered torso made him appear as wide as he was tall. His clean-shaven and rugged-looking face along with his close-cropped hair gave him the appearance of a Marine drill sergeant.

"Good morning detectives. They were here, but they're gone. The truck they drove up in is around back. Another set of tire tracks is back there." The straight-forward manner of Sheriff DeBuck pleased her.

"Shit," Katniss muttered. "Find anything helpful inside?"

He shook his head, "no. It looks like they came and left pretty quick. Do you have any idea where they're headed?"

"Chicago."

"Are you sure?"

"That's where they're from. That's my best guess."

"I'll alert Pennsylvania State Police and everyone else between here and Chicago. Can you meet me back at the office?"

Katniss nodded. "We're going to check into a motel and shower." They shook hands and walked off.

* * *

"Pull in here. I gotta take a piss." Eric said from the back seat.

"I'm starving," Peter added.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Max agreed.

Drew pulled the car into the parking lot and bolted into the store.

"Let the asshole go first so he doesn't piss in his pants." The three chuckled. "Eric, you and Peter get food for the road. I'll watch them." Max said.

Peter rolled up and down the aisle filling the cart with chips, soda, and donuts.

"How can you eat all that crap?" Eric asked.

"What? I'm in good shape." Eric shook his head and rolled his eyes at Peter's comment. "Go grab the rabbit food you heath nuts eat." Eric felt his blood pressure rise. Loyalty just got you so far, Peter had a big mouth. If the store had been empty Eric would have beaten the crap out of him. He made a mental note to gut Peter when they got home.

"Yeah, I'm a health nut."

Drew exited the men's room. "I wouldn't go in there if I was you. Oh, Tastykakes!" Drew almost emptied the shelf into the cart. "I gotta drive out of town to find these."

"Okay, you two finish up. I'm goin' outside. Pick up a case of pop for Max." Eric turned and glared at the pair. "And you two pay for everything. We don't need to attract any attention." They nodded in unison.

Eric leaned against the wall outside the general store. He lit a cigarette and examined the four stores at the intersection. A service station, the post office and a Chinese restaurant filled out the central shopping district. _This is a real happening burg, ain't it._

Eric turned his back to the street and a reflection in the store window caught his attention. He stayed still and continued smoking his cigarette. Peter and Drew finished up at the checkout. _Come on assholes. Let's hurry.  
_

"Why do I gotta carry everything?" Drew said.

"You two bicker like an old couple. Let's get out of here. A cop car just passed by."

"Relax, he probably has nothing to do. Look at this place." Peter said.

"I don't want to take any chances."

* * *

"I thought we had them," Gale said.

"So did I." Katniss' ears perked up and her eyes got wide. She looked out the rear window and saw a cop car at top speed with lights on and the siren blaring. "I don't like this, follow him."

Katniss dialed her phone. "Sheriff's office."

"This is Sargeant Mellark from the NYPD. A sheriff's car just passed us."

"They're responding to a shooting."

"Tell them we're following them."

"I got a bad feeling about this." Gale said.

The deputy's car skidded to a stop. Katniss' eyes darted left and right. A man is on the ground outside the general store, a woman is next to him holding a shotgun. There are two bodies by the cop car.

"Drop the gun! Put it down! Show your hands!" Katniss approached the couple.

"He's my husband! We own the store!" Katniss took the gun.

"What happened?" The man tried to raise himself. Blood seeped out of a shoulder wound. "Stay still. Tell me what happened."

"Um, I heard gun shots." He grimaced, "and I ran out with my shotgun. I got two shots off at the guys shooting at the cops."

"Do you know who they were?"

"Yeah, three of them were in the store shopping."

"Do you have cameras in the store that record?" The woman nodded her head. Katniss and Gale's eyes locked. "Gale, go review the DVR."

"Relax, an ambulance is on the way." Police cars flooded the intersection. She walked to the two lifeless bodies. The sheriff knelt next to one.

"I remember recruiting him. Just a couple of years ago. I grew up with his father."

"I'm sorry," Katniss said. The sheriff's body shook and he held back tears from his bloodshot eyes. "But we need to talk."

"Yes we do." Katniss and Sheriff DeBuck walked to the general store. They stepped around the medics working on the injured storeowner.

"Kat, this is Jasper. He's the co-owner," Gale said.

"I was in the back when I heard the shots. I ran to the front."

They nodded to the man who was the complete opposite of the sheriff. Tall and lanky with a ponytail, he spoke with a muted voice that forced Katniss to lean into him to hear what he said.

"It's them, we can see Eric and Peter on the surveillance cameras," Gale said.

"Jasper, did you see anything?" Katniss asked.

"All I saw was the car driving away."

"Describe it."

"A dark green Ford Expedition. It went west." Sheriff DeBuck radioed the information.

"Mellark, who are these people?" He asked.

"They are part of a drug ring from Chicago. They have two teenage hostages. The young girl's parents were killed by them. They killed a street vendor in the city, two drug dealers in The Bronx and ..." Katniss paused and swallowed hard, "and an attempted kidnapping."

"Sheriff!" A deputy bolted into the store. "They found the car!"

"Where?"

"Twenty miles out on route 105."

Katniss looked at the map on the wall. "That's here. In the state park. Any sign of them?"

"No, they drove off the road and tried to hide the car. It looks like one of the bullets hit the radiator. There were bullet holes in the windows and blood on the seats."

Katniss' heart pounded. Did Tris or Tobias get shot? "Any idea which way they walked?"

"No."

"They walked northwest." All eyes turned to Jasper.

"Why do you say that?" Gale asked.

"It's downhill. I bet that bunch thought it'd be easier going downhill. From the look of them, they probably never spent a day in the woods."

Katniss followed the hiking path with her finger. "Jasper, what's this road?"

"It's an old logging road. It's not maintained. You'll need a big-ass jeep to get down it."

The wheels turned in her head. She estimated the distance they could walk.

"What are you thinking Katniss?" Gale asked.

"Put together two packs with two days worth of supplies."

"You're not going after them Detective," DeBuck said. "I'll organize a search party if you don't mind."

"We're team players Sheriff, we're not interested in running the search. Just think of us as another tool on your belt. I'll show you exactly where we're going. We'll keep you informed by radio or cell phone."

"No, stay out of this."

"Sheriff, we're going in." She paused while she packed some supplies in her pack. "And we'd rather do it working together with you."

He shook his head and sighed. "It's against my better judgment. Okay, I'll get you a pair of handi-talkies. State Police chopper will be overhead in a couple of hours. And we'll be right behind you. We'll also come in from the north."

"Thanks, Sheriff."

Katniss stared at the case containing the hunting rifles. "You a good shot?" Jasper asked.

Katniss nodded. "Yeah, pretty good."

"Well, the Remington 700 is a good choice, you could take down a deer at 1000 yards." She lifted the rifle. "Or a man." He added.

"I'm not a marine sniper. Something smaller and lighter."

"Then this is the gun for you. The Bushmaster is a classic."

It felt like an extension of her arm when she looked through the scope. "I'll take it." She handed over her credit card. Jasper pushed it back.

"No, this is on loan. Bring it back when you've caught or killed the bastards that killed those boys outside.

She mouthed, "thank you."

He added boxes of ammo for her new rifle and Gale's shotgun. "Good hunting."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Oh shit, I'm hit." Eric felt his shoulder. He looked at the blood on his hand. His nostrils flared and his eyes bulged out. "Those bastards shot me!"

"Relax Eric. They won't have a chance to do that again." Peter said.

Max looked at Eric's wound. "It's only a scratch. Suck it up."

"Max, we got a problem," Drew said. "Smoke is coming out of the engine!" He had trouble seeing the road through the cloud that surrounded the car.

"Pull over here," Max said.

Tris squeezed Tobias' hand. She wasn't sure if they were better off on foot. The car came to a stop and they piled out. Pain shot from her shoulder down her back. "I think I'm shot." Tobias touched the blood stain on the back of her shoulder. She recoiled. "Ouch."

He pulled her shirt down and examined the wound. "It doesn't look like it went in. Probably only a ricochet." He ripped a piece of his shirt away and folded it to make a bandage. "I'll keep some pressure on it." The pain pierced through Tris' torso. She stood up straight and tried to stem the flow of tears.

"Thanks."

"Drew, drive into the brush while the car still has some power," Max said. Drew drove over the embankment and into the high weeds.

Peter shoved bottles of water and snacks into his pockets. "You better grab what you can."

"This way," Max pointed to the woods.

"Why there?" Drew asked.

"We can't walk on the road you idiot," Eric said. "The road will be full of cop cars soon."

It might still be four against two, but the odds would improve if Drew annoyed them so much they killed him just to shut him up.

The group made a path into the woods. Max and Eric upfront and Drew and Peter in the rear. "You try anything Four and you won't make it back to Chicago." Tris wondered if going back to Chicago would be any better.

The thick brush made walking slow. Tris and Tobias walked in unison so Tobias could keep pressure on Tris' gunshot wound.

She had never been in woods like this before. The only trees she saw were on the street in her neighborhood and the park. She took a deep breath. The crisp air, free of pollutants, in her lungs, energized her. "Thanks, I'll take it from here." She felt a tingle when she touched his hand.

They exchanged smiles. He brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I don't think I asked last night, but what's with the new hair cut?"

"Time for a change I guess."

"I like it."

"There's a path. Go to the left." Max said.

"Why?" Drew asked.

"I'm getting sick of you questioning my orders." Max glared at Drew. "If I hear one more peep from you, we'll leave you here alone in a ditch."

Walking got easier on the path, but the going was still slow. Their sneakers were perfect for walking on concrete and asphalt, but they were the wrong shoe for the woods. They slid and slipped on the rocks as they walked. "Come on, let's get a move on." Max pulled out his phone. "Still no signal."

Tobias leaned over to whisper something to Tris. "Hey! No talking!" Peter said. Tris assumed Tobias was forming an escape plan. She would just have to watch Tobias and try to anticipate his next move.

* * *

Jasper drove Katniss and Gale up the old logging road. Her ribs ached as she bounced up and down in the Jeep.

"Here's the trail. Good luck to you."

"Thanks, Jasper." They waved as he backed up the road. Katniss turned on the GPS and did a radio check. She and Gale entered the woods to start their hunt.

Between work and family, Katniss and Gale hadn't gone hunting in a few years. Except for their footsteps, there wasn't a man-made sound. The trees rustled in the wind and the birds chirped. "Look to your right." Katniss turned her head. She half-expected to see the gang, but it couldn't be that easy. "That's an easy shot," Gale said.

"It's not doe season yet." The deer took off when she heard the twigs cracking under foot. "Where will we catch up with them?"

"Let's see how far we get. Then I'll see. I got a feeling they'll stop when it gets too dark. There is no moon tonight. We should stop also then." Katniss nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Hey, let's rest!" Peter said.

"Yeah, my feet are killing me," Drew said.

"No, we got to keep moving," Eric said.

Drew and Peter stopped. "We're not walking anymore."

Eric pushed Tobias out of the way and charged his insubordinate gang members. "LISTEN YOU TWO ASSHOLES. I'LL BLOW YOUR FUCKIN' HEADS OFF IF YOU DON'T KEEP MOVING!" Eric put his pistol under Peter's chin. "You read me?"

"Eric relax. We can rest for a few minutes if it'll shut the two of them up." Eric pulled his gun away and pushed Peter. He tripped backward and fell on his ass. "You two sit also. Jeanine wants her prizes alive."

While they sat together Tris tried to pass the piece of metal to Tobias. He pushed it back to her. "Take it. I got something else." She mouthed. He slid it up his sleeve.

"Alright, everybody up. Let's go." Eric said. The six got up and continued their trek through the woods. "It'll be dark soon. We gotta move."

* * *

Katniss' chest became heavy and Gale could hear her wheezing. "Are you okay?"

Katniss brushed off Gale and kept walking. "Kat, you're in pain. Let's rest."

Katniss stopped and dropped her pack. The water she drank helped her dry mouth, but her head still throbbed.

"More aspirin?"

Katniss swallowed the painkillers. "I'm fine."

"You should have gone to the hospital after the car wreck. You could have broken ribs." He felt her face. "You're burning up."

"I told you I'm fine. Let's go." Gale knew there was no stopping her when she had her mind set. Even to the detriment to her health. All he could do is keep an eye on her.

"How much farther do we have to go?"

Gale looked at the sky. "We have two more hours of daylight."

"We'll walk until we can't see anymore," Katniss said. Gale bowed his head and followed her.

The sound got louder. They didn't know which direction it came from with all the echos from the mountains. Gale pointed up. "There it is."

Katniss saw the State Police helicopter that had joined the search.

_... SP Aviation to NYPD team_

_Hawthorne is on_

_... We'll be up for another hour. We'll let you know if we find anything_

_Ten-four_

* * *

Tris' and Tobias' injuries slowed them down. The constant pushing by Peter didn't help. Besides keeping Tris alive to motivate him, he visualized beating Peter. He would walk up to him and punch him in the face. His broken nose would bleed like a running faucet. As Peter tried to stop the flow of blood he would continue to pound Peter until he collapsed and became lifeless.

"Move asshole!" Peter said. Tobias thought about moving up his to do list.

"Stop for a second," Max said. "He pulled out a map." Unlike Gale's topographical map for hikers and hunters, Max had a road map. It didn't have much detail, but it had enough for him to judge the general direction they traveled.

Peter pointed to a point on the map. "Let's go there." Eric and Max looked back at Peter.

"Why?" Eric asked.

"There are train tracks there. We could hitch a ride."

Eric nodded, "not a bad idea Max."

Peter stood up straight and smiled. He finally felt useful.

* * *

Katniss stumbled over some rocks and fell to her knees. Gale grabbed her arm to bring her to her feet. Halfway up, she fell back down. "I don't care what you say. We're making camp here."

Katniss wiped the sweat from her face. She removed her pack and loosened her jacket. "Kat, you're soaked."

"I guess my fever broke." Gale gave her more water and sat her down with a blanket around her.

"I don't need a blanket." Katniss' eyes got wide when she saw Gale raise one eyebrow. "Okay, okay." Gale prepared dinner as Katniss relaxed against a tree.

"What are we having?"

"Dinty Moore Beef Stew."

"Yum."

Gale spun around when he heard Katniss take a long breath. "What was that?"

Katniss' face turned red. "I just unhooked the ace bandage around my chest. I feel so free."

"I was wondering why you looked flat."

"Why Mr. Hawthorne, I never knew you looked at me like that."

Unable to think of a witty comeback he went back to stirring the stew, "shuddup."

* * *

Drew fell for the umpteenth time. He lifted himself from the mud. "This just fucking sucks." The brown mud that caked him from head to toe made him look like a bear. The white of his eyes peered through the mud cake.

Max surveyed the area. Without the benefit of moonlight, he couldn't see more than ten yards in front of him. "Winnie-the-Pooh is right." Drew was too busy wiping himself off to realize they compared to a "bear of very little brain." "Let's take a break. We'll start again at dawn. "One of you will have to guard these two and keep an eye out."

Drew collected wood in a pile in the middle of a clearing. He knelt and lit some small twigs. "What are you doing dick-head?" Eric asked.

"I'm starting a fire."

"No fire." He stomped out the small fire. "The cops could see it."

"But it's cold and dark."

"Suck it up asshole. I'll take first watch." Eric positioned himself behind Tris and Tobias. Tris lay her head on Tobias' lap sure she wasn't missing any escape opportunity while Eric watched them.

* * *

She felt the rough skin brush against her face. She brushed it away and tried to get back to sleep. "Kat, Kat. Wake up."

She rubbed her eyes and saw a figure. "Gale? Why is it so dark?"

"It's just before dawn. We need to eat and get going. How do you feel?"

"Better, headache is gone. Chest is still painful."

"I lightened your pack."

Kat smiled and dug into her dehydrated bacon, egg, and cheese. "This is awful." She washed it down with Tang. "And I just made it worse. Yuck."

"Kat, we gotta plan. What are we going to do when we find them?"

"I figured we'd just arrest them." Gale didn't react to Katniss' absurd suggestion. "Okay, I hadn't thought that far ahead."

"You could pick them off one by one."

She scrunched her nose. Not sure whether she objected to the food or his suggestion he cocked his head. "Okay, first, I don't think we could justify outright murder. Second is more practical. I'm sure I could take out one but after that they'd scatter and possibly shoot the kids."

"So what's the plan?"

She shrugged, "we'll decide when we get there."

* * *

"What we need is some height," Gale said.

Katniss looked around to find the high ground. "That is the highest peak around." Katniss pointed to a mountain to the side of them. "It's kinda steep though."

"Why don't you just climb a tree?" Gale asked.

Katniss looked around. "Who are you talking to?"

Gale returned Katniss' gaze. "You. You're the best tree climber I know."

"Did we stumble into a time warp or something? I haven't climbed a tree since I was fourteen." Gale stood his ground. "I was more flexible and..."

"And a little lighter."

"HEY!"

"Kat, how hard can it be? I'm sure you could still do it. It's probably like riding a bike or something."

"Oh from a guy who fell off his motorcycle while parked."

"I didn't fall off my bike. I was off it when I tripped over the embankment."

"Oh, so you're sticking with that story are you."

Katniss finally relented and picked out a pine tree. "This one looks sturdy enough." She dropped her pack and put the binoculars around her neck. "A little lift please."

Gale clasped his hands together and Katniss put her foot in it. Gale hoisted her up. "Holy Christ Kat! What the.."

"HEY! Lay off." Katniss grabbed the branch; she pulled while Gale pushed. "A little more Gale." She sat on the branch and caught her breath. "Thanks. I think I can make it from here." Each branch Katniss climbed gave her a better view. She climbed a few more until the tree started to sway. "I think this'll do." She wrapped one arm around the trunk and held the binoculars up to her eyes.

"See anything?" Gale asked.

"Not yet." She searched the valley below her and looked for any evidence of people, like brush moving or smoke.

"Go higher."

"This coming from the guy who's afraid of heights."

"I told you I'm not afraid of heights."

"That's right. You're just afraid of falling." Katniss said. "Hey, I think I got something."

"You have a bearing?"

"Yeah. 260 degrees. I'd say three miles."

Gale laid the map out. "I see what trail they're on."

Katniss climbed down the tree. When she got to the bottom branch she wrapped her arms around the tree and slid down the rest of the way. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" She let go a few feet from the ground, landed on her two feet, but fell over, and fell on her butt. "Holy Christ that hurt."

"Are you alright?"

"Except for the bark burn on my boobs, okay."

"Are you certain it was them?"

"Yes, I'm positive they were my boobs that got burned." Gale lifted one eyebrow.

"Okay. No, I'm not 100% sure, but it's the only lead we have."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"You feeling any better?" Gale asked Katniss. He didn't need an answer from her to know how she felt. She stumbled as she walked and leaned to one side. On the good side, he could no longer hear her wheeze.

"Yeah, kinda," she lied.

"Look, over here." Gale jogged to a clump of bushes further up the trail. He handled a broken branch.

"Ouch." Katniss brought her finger to her mouth. "Thorn bushes." She examined some fibers attached to a thorn. "Look at this."

"That's not fur, someone's been through here," Gale said. He ambled up the trail some more. He knelt and brushed away some leaves. "Footprints in the mud."

"They're all sneakers." Her eyes examined the footprints. "I count six different prints. Look at that small pair. Those could be Tris'."

"Let's go," Gale said. "They went this way."

Katniss admired Gale attention to detail. His ability to track game amazed her. She knew that it was a technique honed over the years, but he made it look like he had some sort of innate ability. He brought that to his work as a detective. His eyes not only spotted the smallest clue at a crime scene, but he could pick out what didn't look right or what was missing.

On one scene, he noticed a missing puzzle piece out of 1000. That pointed them in the right direction and they solved the crime.

Gale led the way.

* * *

"Mellark to Command," she radioed. "Mellark to Command."

"Still no contact?"

Katniss shook her head. "We haven't heard the chopper in awhile."

Gale stopped and squatted. She squatted and duck walked up to Gale. "Someone's up ahead." Katniss and Gale listened.

"I can't hear them," Katniss whispered.

"What's the plan?"

"Let's keep an eye on them for now and see who's down there."

"I'm going to get a closer look," Katniss said. "Gale, go about twenty yards to the right and see what you can see." Gale agreed and crept through the bushes.

Katniss found a perfect blind. A depression in the middle of a clump of bushes. She brought her rifle scope to her eye. Warmth rushed through her body; Tris and Tobias were alive. They sat on a log, their sides to her. Drew paced in front of them. She spotted Peter off to the side. She saw Max and Eric further back.

"Gale, I see them," Katniss radioed.

"I can't see them," Gale responded. "I'm going to move up."

"Okay."

Katniss looked through the scope again. "Shit."

"Gale, I don't see Peter," Katniss radioed. "Gale, Gale."

Katniss franticly surveyed the area looking for Peter. "Come on, where are you?" Katniss spun back to the gang when she heard yelling. Tobias punched Drew and Tris barrel-rolled into the back of his legs. Drew flipped back and puff of smoke rose when he hit the ground. Tobias grabbed Tris' hand and they ran from Drew. Max and Eric joined in the chase. Drew shot his gun at the pair. Katniss stood and zeroed in on Drew.

She fired. A puff of dust blew off a tree. "Damn." Drew fired again at the running teens.

She aimed, took a deep breath, exhaled and pulled the trigger. Drew went down. Tris and Tobias disappeared with Max and Eric in pursuit.

"Gale." No answer from her partner on the radio. "Gale." She ran towards Gale's position.

Two shots rang out, a pistol and a shotgun. She stopped, her eyes darted left to right and back. She saw no one, nor heard any sound.

She crouched and brought her lips together, _tweet, tweet, tweet._ She listened for a reply._ Tweet, tweet, tweet._

_Tweet, tweet._ She ran to Gale's bird call.

Gale sat on the ground against a tree. She looked around before she approached him. "It's clear," Gale said.

She ran to him. "Christ Gale, what happened?" Blood seeped out between his fingers. He wrapped his hands around a wound to his thigh. She knelt next to him.

"It was Max. I hit him, but he got away." She took out the gauze pads from the first aid kit. "Give me your belt." Gale took off his belt. She tightened the belt around his thigh. It held the gauze over the bullet hole with pressure.

"I don't think it hit the artery. There'd be more blood." Gale said.

Katniss hoped he was right, but she wasn't a medical pro. Even if she were there was nothing she could do about it. She pulled tighter.

"Oh fuck Kat! That hurt!"

"Relax you wuss." She grinned at him. Gale drank water as Katniss looked around. "Is that Peter?"

"Yup."

An unconscious Peter lay handcuffed to a tree. "How'd you catch him?"

"He was taking a piss. I snuck up behind him and knocked him out."

"Did you use a choke-hold?" Gale nodded yes. "You know that's illegal."

"So is Tasing a guys balls."

"Okay, just as long as we're on the same page."

"By the way, your ring-necked pheasant bird call needs work."

"I was doing a bobwhite quail."

"Well then, it really sucked." Katniss furrowed her brow and stuck her tongue out. This light moment didn't last long.

Katniss stood up. "I need to check Drew." Gale nodded.

Katniss walked off and searched for Drew. She didn't walk far when she saw the body on the path. She didn't see much blood. The ground absorbed what bled out. She picked up his gun.

She felt for a pulse, a routine unnecessary act. His motionless body told all. The bullet entered the middle of his back. With enough autopsies under her belt, she knew he died from internal bleeding. She recorded the body's location on her GPS. The State Police could pick him up later.

"Drew's dead." Katniss stowed Drew's gun in her pack. "Two down."

"But now it's only you." She felt like his little sister when he grabbed her arm, not like his boss.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." They shared a broken smile before she took off.

She walked back to the path where she found Drew and went in the direction the teens ran. She hoped they stayed on the path.

Katniss looked at her shadow getting longer. It would be dark soon. Searching in daytime was hard, it would be impossible in the dark. At least before, they were following them on a trail. Now she had only a vague idea where they might be.

She frowned and kept moving forward on the trail. She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Ouch." She chewed too hard. The taste of blood filled her mouth. "Note to self, don't injure yourself."

Her frown deepened. Her thoughts of Peeta flipped from anger to sadness. She took a deep breath and settled on anger. It motivated her to get back to Peeta and give her a piece of her mind.

* * *

The sweat stung Tris' eyes. She blinked to clear her vision.

"Tris, stop," Tobias said.

She turned around. Sweat poured down his beet-red face. "You okay?" She asked.

He bent over and put his hands on his knees. He couldn't catch his breath. "Let's sit and rest."

"Thank God you suggested that." Tris plopped down and they sat against a tree. She did not welcome the rest. Without immediate danger or escape to fill her mind, thoughts of her parents crept in. She wished for her stifling, over-protective parents. Tears welled up behind her eyelids. Tobias took her hand and they intertwined their fingers. She lay her head on his shoulder and cried.

The hair on the back of her neck stood straight up, the crunch of leaves and the snap of a twig followed. Tobias whispered, "hide over there." He pointed to a clump of bushes. "Stay still." He pushed her away. He did the same on the other side of the path.

The footsteps got louder, but she couldn't see anyone. She imagined her shirt vibrating from her beating heart. She held her hand over her mouth to silence her breathing. She stared at the path and Eric emerged. She waited for Max or Peter, but no one appeared. He held a gun in one hand and he moved the brush away with the other.

Eric stopped and listened. She believed that Eric heard her. She grabbed the piece of metal from her pocket to use as a shiv. She'd only get one shot to stab Eric. Tris prepared herself to lunge at him and stab him in the neck.

He turned towards her, took a step, moved some branches away and reached in.

"Eric, I'm here." Tris' eyes got tremendous. What the hell was Tobias thinking? Eric rushed Tobias. Eric was too far away now to catch off guard.

Eric took Tobias by the collar and dragged him to the path. "I should fuckin' shoot your sorry ass right now."

Eric put the barrel of the gun on Tobias' forehead. Tris tried to swallow, but her throat closed up. She readied herself. She planned to rush and tackle Eric. Hopefully, he'll drop the gun.

"So why don't you?" Tobias asked.

"For some reason Jeanine wants both you and the girl." Tobias smacked his head on a rock when Eric let go of him. "Where is she?"

"I don't know." Eric kicked Tobias in the side. "Don't give me that shit! Where is she?"

Tobias rolled over. "You can beat me as much as you want, I still won't know." That enraged Eric even more. He pointed the gun at Tobias' head.

"Fuck Jeanine. I'm gonna blow your head off right now."

Tris rose from her spot.

"No, not just yet." He pushed Tobias. "Let's go."

Tris froze. Except for her heart not one muscle moved.

They moved further up the path and she could no longer hear them. If she couldn't hear them, Eric couldn't hear her. She moved out of her hiding place and followed Eric and Tobias from a distance.

After a few minutes Eric stopped. He pushed Tobias down on the ground and stood on a rock. He spun around. Tris grinned, Eric was lost. Neither Max, Drew nor Peter were around. She opened her eyes wide and sucked in a big breath. Without Drew or Peter to push around he might take out his frustrations on Tobias. He might fly off the handle without Max to keep him straight.

Tris crawled towards them. The slow going frustrated her. It took much of her strength to calm herself down. She needed to get herself in a position to rush Eric.

Eric paced like a caged animal, his eyes darted in the direction of every little sound. He almost shot a chipmunk.

When she got close enough she heard his quick and shallow breathing. He spoke aloud to himself, questioning why he was here and blaming everyone for his predicament.

He jumped off the rock and backed up. He raised his gun past Tobias. Tris stood behind a tree and tried to see what startled Eric.

"It's a bear, a fuckin' bear!" Eric said.

Tobias jumped up and backed off, "keep quiet asshole."

It stood on its hind quarters and picked berries off a tree. His golden brown hair glistened in the sunlight. His dark eyes blended in with his fur. He sniffed the air and looked at Eric and Tobias.

Eric raised his gun and aimed at the bear. "Don't shoot him, you'll just make him mad," Tobias said.

Eric's huge eyes stared at Tobias. "What do you suggest moron?"

"Leave it alone. It'll wander off."

They froze and stared at the bear. He ate a few more berries and waddled off. Tris thought he looked like a kid whose pants were too big.

They both exhaled.

As Eric focused on the bear and she moved closer.

"I've had enough of this place," Eric said. "Stand up."

Tobias turned and Eric pointed his gun at him. "You're a big man with a gun."

Eric narrowed his eyes and glared at Tobias and said, "You're not going to goad me into doing something stupid." He paused for a second. "I'm walking out of here, and guarding you will slow me down. So Four, I'd like to say it was fun, but it wasn't."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Katniss trudged along the trail. Her heavy legs and strained breathing made the going slow. She leaned on a tree and took a breather. Before starting up again, she listened. To the right leaves rustled; a squirrel ran up a tree. A shadow crossed her eyes; a hawk circled above. No sound of the teens or the last two suspects. She took a drink and willed her legs to move, one step at a time.

Each quarter mile she walked she thought about hiking back to Gale for the night. She could lie down and rest. Every muscle in her body screamed out to do that. Then she'd think about Tris and decide to just walk a little more.

More leaves rustled, a heavy foot made the noise. She froze, her eyes shifted right, and she brought her rifle up. Some bushes moved. Katniss looked through the scope. Her eyes focused. She took a deep breath and concentrated to slow her heartbeat.

She exhaled, giggled and her heart slowed down. A bear foraged for dessert in a clump of raspberries. Katniss lowered her gun and squatted. The bear was black and would probably stand six foot tall. Katniss guessed it was a male from his size. She reached out and picked some raspberries from a bush next to her. She and the majestic beast enjoyed their short meal break.

Something scared the bear and it ran away. Katniss hadn't heard anything, but the bear did. She stayed low and listened. She saw nothing when she peeked over the bushes. She stood and continued her trek.

After fifty yards, she dropped to her knees when she heard voices, men's, not loud enough to make out. She tiptoed up the trail until she could hear them clearly. She heard Tobias and another man, either Max or Eric.

Tobias' calm and steady speech contrasted with the other man's unstable tone. She inched closer. They came into view after another ten yards. Eric trained his gun on Tobias.

"I've had enough of this place," Eric said. "Stand up."

Tobias rose. He stood tall and made fists with his hands. "You're a big man with a gun."

Eric's eyes narrowed and he pressed his lips. After a few seconds, he stepped back and sneered at Tobias. "You're not going to goad me into doing something stupid. I'm walking out of here, and guarding you will slow me down. So Four, I'd like to say it was fun, but it wasn't."

Katniss' eyes got tremendous. She could end it here. She aimed her gun, took a deep breath, exhaled and ...

* * *

Tris' heart pounded. She saw Eric point his gun at Tobias. She raised herself from her crouch. She could be as selfless as Tobias was just an hour ago when he saved her. She dropped back down. A selfish act? No, just smart. Tris picked up a rock and whaled it at Eric.

The handball sized rock flew through the air and smacked the side of Eric's head. He stumbled to the side and his gun went off. Tobias fell back.

Tris took off like a sprinter in the 100 yard dash. She buried her shoulder in Eric's lower back and they fell to the ground. Eric got a mouthful of dirt when he hit the ground face first. He rolled over as Tris righted herself. She pounced on top of him, pulled out the sharp metal she hid and pressed it to his neck.

Eric struggled, but Tris pressed harder. "Go ahead and make it easy for me. You'll bleed out in seconds if I pierce you."

"You don't have the balls little girl."

"NO ONE CALLS ME LITTLE GIRL!"

Katniss re-aimed after Tris caused her to miss Eric. "DROP IT TRIS!" Tris recognized Katniss' voice but kept her gaze on Eric.

Her pulse raced and sweat soaked her. She talked through her clenched teeth. She struggled to stay upright as her muscles quivered at the speed of light.

"Tris, I'm warning you! Get off him now!"

Tris didn't move an inch. She pressed the shiv harder but still hadn't broken the skin. She held the life of one of the men responsible for her parent's death in her hands.

"Get off me girl! Your mommy gave you an order." Eric smirked. Tris bared her teeth and opened her eyes wide. She heard Katniss but didn't listen. She pressed the shiv harder.

Katniss steadied herself against a tree and aimed her gun at Tris knowing she'd never pull the trigger. Tris would do society a favor if she rid the world of a vile individual like Eric.

"Tris, please move away from him now! I'll bring him in and he'll pay for his crimes."

Tris didn't move. She locked eyes with Eric. "No, your days are over Eric."

Katniss fell back after the tree she leaned on exploded in her face and she smacked her head on a rock. The loud gunshot echoed in her head and stars zoomed in front of her; it felt like her brain bounced around her skull. Blood oozed from the back of her head, but that was nothing compared to the darkness in front of her.

Pain radiated from her closed left eye; blood, mixed with sweat, reached her mouth. She spat out the warm liquid.

Bright sunlight pierced the darkness as her vision returned. She backed up against a tree, wiped her eye and squinted. She figured the brown blobs were trees. She looked for any movement. She held her rifle in her hand. The shot came from her right, but who? A state trooper? A local cop? No, they would announce themselves. Or would they? No, it had to be Max.

The adrenaline that coursed through her veins caused her heart to pump hard and fast. It felt like her shirt vibrated in rhythm. Instead of trying to calm down, she used the extra burst of energy to fight for her life.

She turned to the right. She tried blinking again, but her injured eye hurt too much. Something blurry approached her. It had to be the shooter. She shot from the hip. Something she'd only done for kicks as a teen at the range. Whoever she hit, fell.

Katniss pulled herself up and stumbled up a low ridge. She squinted and saw her kill. Max's bloody body lay face up. Her one shot, mixed with the ones from Gale's shotgun, bloodied his clothing. She took his gun that injured Gale and may have killed others and added it to her collection.

Her vision cleared up enough to see Tobias running into the woods, but she didn't see Tris or Eric. She took off after him. "Tobias, STOP!" He kept running. "Dammit!"

Even though, Katniss' brain bounced around like a pinball she ran at her best speed. Tobias' injury slowed him down and Katniss caught up to him. "Will you just stop!"

"Are you hurt?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah, my arm." Tobias said.

"Where's Tris and Eric?"

"Eric got away when the shot went off. Tris took off after him. I couldn't stop her."

Before Katniss got ten feet, she saw Tris coming over a ridge towards them.

"Tris, where's Eric?" Katniss yelled.

Tris narrowed her eyes. "He got away. Because of you Eric got away. It's all your fault Katniss." Tris said with a tremble in her voice.

"I couldn't let you do it Tris. You couldn't live with yourself. You're not a murderer."

"Don't tell me what I can live with."

"You'll ..."

"MY PARENTS ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF HIM!"

"Tris ..."

Tris charged Katniss and tried to tackle her. Even with all her injuries the heavier, taller and wiser, Katniss easily thwarted Tris' attack. She wrapped her arms around Tris and brought her down.

Tears flowed out of Tris' eyes and her voice quivered. "My parents are dead. He had them killed."

Katniss rocked Tris like a little girl. She pulled her in tight. "I know sweetie, I know. We'll catch him. I promise." Katniss felt every muscle in Tris' body relax. She just melted in her arms. She combed Tris' hair with her fingers. Tris wrapped her arms around Katniss and squeezed.

Katniss surveyed the area. "We have to leave. Eric is still loose." Tobias bent over to pick up Eric's pistol. "Leave it Tobias." Tobias hesitated and stared at the gun. Even though the teens were victims, they were also a volatile pair. She couldn't allow them to run around the woods armed, hunting Eric. They'd be just as big a danger to themselves. "Back away from it now."

"Tobias, listen to her, it's the smart thing to do," Tris said.

Tobias relented and backed off. "Who shot at you?" Tobias asked.

"Max, he's dead. Can you walk?" Tobias nodded yes. Katniss helped Tris up. "Let's go. Gale's not too far away."

"Gale, I have Tris and Tobias. We're on our way back," Katniss radioed.

"I heard shots. What happened?"

"Max and Drew are dead. Eric is still out there. Keep an eye out."

"10-4."

* * *

"Hey look, the stiff is back," Peter said.

"Why you sonofabitch!" Tris charged Peter and kicked him.

"Oh fuck, get her off me," Peter screamed and tried to use the tree Gale handcuffed him to as a shield, but it was no use.

Katniss shook her head and sighed. "Jesus H. Christ Tris, stop kicking him. He's not worth it."

Tris glared at Peter and gave one last kick right in the ...

"Ahhhhhh!" Peter screamed.

Tobias and Gale crossed their legs. "Oh, that's gotta hurt," Gale said.

Tris left Peter to roll in the dirt and moan.

"How you feeling?" Katniss asked Gale.

"Better than you. Sit down let me look at it."

"It hurts too much to open. Just bandage it."

Gale placed a bandage over her eye and taped it on. He examined the back of her head. "That's some lump." He showed her his fingers with her blood on it. "Can you see well enough to walk?"

"My depth perceptions screwed up, but I'll make it. I'm going to leave them with you. I'll hike out and tell them where you are as soon as I can raise them on the radio."

Gale nodded. "Listen, what do you want me to do if they try to leave?"

"Shoot them, shoot them both."

"And Peter."

"Shoot him too."

Tris rose when Katniss left her view. She stared at the vast forest in front of her. She took a deep breath. The beauty contrasted with the horrific events of the last few days. Tobias tugged her pant's leg.

"What are you thinking?" Tris didn't answer. "You're thinking about taking off."

"How do you know that?"

Tobias raised his eyebrows. "You wonder how I know that?" Tris sighed and pressed her lips. "I think it's time you stop running." He reached up and pulled her down. She lay her head in his lap while he caressed her. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged Tobias. "It's the smart thing to do."

* * *

Katniss' and Gale's boss, Captain Emma Dever, wore out a path in front of the command vehicle. She had two injured detectives, two dead suspects, one suspect in custody, but one still on the loose.

A trooper's car rolled up. Emma gasped. Katniss had dried blood on the back of her head, a bandage over her eye and she held her arms across her chest. Two troopers led her to an ambulance.

"Lie down here Detective. We're transporting you to the landing zone and flying you to Albany," the medic said.

Emma stuck her head through the door. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit."

"I just heard on the radio, Gale and the other three are flying to Albany too. You'll see him there."

"Okay."

"Excuse me, could you give us a minute." The medic excused himself. "What happened out there?"

"Max and Gale exchanged fire. They both were injured. I shot and killed Drew and Max. Gale captured Peter."

"I'm told Peter has a neck and a ... um ... a groin injury."

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Of course you wouldn't, Detective Ballbuster." Katniss shrugged. "I called your parents. They're calling Peeta."

"Thanks."

"Kat, your sidearm."

She handed Emma her Glock 9mm pistol. "I left a rifle in the car. It's on loan from the General Store."

"They'll get it back. Some day."

Emma opened the ambulance door.

"Trooper, secure the rifle in the back of your car and could you get me an evidence bag, please." She turned back to Katniss. "We'll find Eric. There's a boatload of troopers and cops looking for him." Emma shook Katniss' foot. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

Tris and Tobias, Peeta and Lily, Gale, her job, Eric. The thoughts overwhelmed her. Katniss rolled her head to the side, but no tears flowed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The curtain surrounding her bed opened up. "Detective, are you awake?" The gentlemen in white coats looked at her chart. Katniss raised her bed. "I'm Doctor Schmidt and this is Doctor Kotchman, your ophthalmologist." Katniss nodded.

"Let me fill you in on your condition. You have two broken ribs and a concussion. Lots of rest will take care of those injuries. The stitches can come out in about a week, maybe ten days."

Katniss knew all this already. She prepared for the eye doctor's report. She tried to take a deep breath, but she winced and gave up.

Doctor Kotchman turned off the room lights. "We removed all the splinters." He stepped up and removed her patch. He shined the light in her eyes. "Uh um." He replaced the eyepatch. "You'll have to keep it bandaged for a day or so. Your vision will be affected for a couple of months, maybe permanently. But there are various treatments for it. We'll cross that road when we get to it. For now, just take it easy." He shook Katniss' leg.

"Rest now. I'll stop in later." Doctor Schmidt said.

They left her in darkness. Katniss squeezed her eyes shut and rolled her head to the side.

* * *

Madge stood in the doorway. Her stomach churned when she looked at Gale. He had an IV and an O2 mask on. He mumbled when Madge came into view. She didn't need to hear what he was saying to know what he said. "I love you too." She moved the oxygen mask aside and kissed him gently on the lips. "What am I going to do with you?" She brushed the hair out of his eyes. "You can come home in a couple of days." He acknowledged her with the blink of his eyes. She calmed down when she lay her head on his chest and heard his beating heart.

* * *

Katniss tried to open her eyes, but one was stuck. She felt a flutter in her stomach until the events of yesterday filled her mind. She felt the bandage over her eye and the one on the back of her head.

"Damn, they cut my hair."

"It'll be fine," a voice said.

"Nurses are butchers with scissors. Just look at any pictures of me and Prim when we were little." The person came into focus. "Oh, hi Emma. I didn't know it was you."

"I wanted to check on you before I drove back to the city."

"Any update?"

"On Eric, no. Gale went through his surgery fine, so did Tobias, Tris needed stitches. And Peter is in the hands of the U.S. Marshals. He's going into witness protection after spilling his guts about what he knows about the drug trade in Chicago."

"I thought he was just some low-level enforcer."

"He is, but he has big ears ... and a bigger mouth."

"Emma, where are Tris and Tobias?"

"They're safe."

"But ..."

"Katniss, they're safe. Now, you just concentrate on getting better," Emma said. "Your parents and in-laws are here. I'll tell them you're awake." Emma stroked Katniss' arm. "Get better and see you soon."

"Bye, Em." Katniss chest ache got worse, she didn't say Peeta was here.

* * *

"Look who's here!" Corinne, Katniss' mother-in-law said.

Katniss turned her head to see who was at the door with her good eye. Katniss' extended arms matched Lily's. "Come here baby." A warm feeling came over her when she felt Lily's hug. "Thank you, Corinne." Corinne flashed a rare smile. Her and Katniss' strained relationship had softened since Lily's birth.

"Your parents will be here in a few minutes." Katniss' heart sunk when she didn't mention Peeta. Their separation tore at her heart.

"Corinne, where's Peeta?"

Before Corinne could answer her mother, Rose, strode through the door. Without knowing it, her mother threw Corinne a lifeline.

"Hi, sweetie." She hugged Katniss and stayed by her side. It was probably the first time that her mother didn't take Lily in her own arms.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad."

"I spoke to the doctor; you'll be out of here in a few days." Her mother said.

Katniss nodded. "I know. I will probably need another operation." She grimaced as she tried to shift her body. "My ribs still hurt."

"They'll take some time honey."

Lily had nothing on her mind except the sparkly necklace around Katniss' neck. Almost all of Katniss' worries slid to the side when she held Lily. All but one, where was Peeta?

* * *

Katniss' eye had adjusted to the darkness, but she yearned for more light than the hallway lamps provided.

"Hey, hey! Want some company?"

Katniss coerced a smile to her face. "Sure. Madge, turn on the lights, please." After Madge flipped the light switch on she wheeled Gale in. His bandaged, elevated leg looked like a jousting lance. "Hey, Gale."

"Hi, Kit Kat. How you feeling?"

"Really sore." Madge hadn't moved since wheeling Gale in. She covered her mouth with her hands. "Madge, what's wrong?"

Madge stretched out her arm and pointed to Katniss. "Your hair. What did they do to you?"

"You should know that nurses can't cut hair. Remember those awful bowl cuts my mother gave me and Prim."

She giggled. "Actually, it looks like the time you cut your's and Prim's hair."

Katniss winced and held her chest when she laughed. "Madge, don't make me laugh."

Gale's jaw dropped. Madge smacked his shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

"You two are amazing. Kat has broken ribs, a concussion, stitches and an injured eye, and all you can talk about is a shitty haircut."

Katniss and Madge stared at Gale. "Yeah!" They said in unison.

"I'm outta here." Gale spun his wheelchair around and zipped through the door.

Madge stared off in the distance.

"What's wrong Madge?"

"I just have a feeling we had this discussion before."

"That's either deja vu or you're just _"Trapped"_ in a vortex or something."

She shook her head. "Oh well. Men, they just don't get it."

"I know Madge. But what are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing I guess." Madge's eyes got tremendous. "Oh, I gotta start planning a welcome home party for you two."

"Thanks, but wait till we both can drink."

* * *

"Hi, can I come in?"

"Sure Tris, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, we're leaving in a little while. Tobias is in with Gale." Tris looked around the room. "Nice room."

"Yeah, if you like that white sterile decor." Katniss cocked her head and smiled. "The best thing to do Tris is to just come out and say it."

After a deep breath, she opened her mouth but still, nothing came out.

"Try one more time."

Tris leaned over and hugged her. Katniss returned the squeeze. They both felt warm inside and their muscles turned to mush.

"Do you know where they are sending you two?"

Tris shook her head and released Katniss. She sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye. "No. All your captain said was that me and Tobias will be safe and close to each other."

"Then I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about that. I just, I'm going to miss you. I hope I'm not too far away."

Katniss brushed Tris' hair away. She kissed her forehead. "You better go now before we both start blubbering." They shared a laugh and Tris backed out one step at a time, waving until she crossed the threshold.

* * *

Katniss woke from a long sleep. She looked for water to cure her cotton mouth.

"Here."

She took the cup of water in front of her face. "Thanks." Peeta sat in a chair at her bedside. "Hi. How long were you here?" She tried to sit up, but her weak arms couldn't support her weight.

"A couple of hours." Peeta took the empty cup from her hand. "You want more?"

"No, thanks." Katniss twiddled her fingers. "Your mom brought Lily today."

"Yeah, she told me."

Peeta stared at his feet while Katniss stared at the ceiling. They hadn't been this quiet with each other since high school. Then, the quietness reflected their combined shyness. Two teens that had crushes on each other but couldn't bring themselves to admit it to the other. Now, with their marriage on the line, they couldn't generate anything more than inane small talk.

"Lily and I are staying at the Marriott."

"Is it nice?"

"Yeah, I rented a suite. Our parents are up the hall. They can use the kitchen when they want to."

"That's nice."

More foot and ceiling staring followed.

"Well, you better get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning."

"Okay."

Peeta leaned over and kissed her forehead. Tears flowed from Katniss' eyes after he left.

* * *

"Why do I have to use a wheelchair?" Katniss asked. "I should be allowed to walk out."

Her mother moved the wheelchair away from her bedside. "Okay. You can walk if you want."

"Thank you." Katniss swiveled her body and let her legs hang over the edge. She slid off the bed till her feet landed on the floor. She pushed herself up and her knees almost gave way. Rose grabbed her daughter's arm and supported her.

Katniss pursed her lips and grabbed the arm of the wheelchair.

"I'll help you get in the wheelchair." She turned Katniss around and lowered her into the seat. Katniss plopped down, looked up at her mother and flashed a smile. "I'll push you out."

They wheeled Katniss and Gale out of the hospital side by side as partners should be. Carol, Connie and April presented her with a bouquet of flowers. Darius gave Gale a bottle of scotch.

"If you four are here, who's protecting the city?" Her detectives chuckled.

They traveled through a phalanx of cops lining the walkway. A mix of locals and city cops, who rented a bus to Albany, cheered them on.

Katniss shook and slapped hands as she wheeled through the throngs of cheering brothers and sisters.

When she reached the car she saw Peeta holding Lily. They shared a smile. He placed Lily on her lap. She hugged her mother with as much force her little arms could generate. Then buried her face in the flowers. "They smell good, mommy."

"They sure do honey."


	16. Chapter 16

** Chapter 16 **

"Beatrice! Tobias is here!" Tris looked at herself in the mirror. The black dress and dark makeup were gone and replaced by a sundress and subdued makeup. She sauntered down the stairs letting Tobias come into view one frame at a time. Her pulse was fast, but she had a lightness in her chest. Tobias' wide smile greeted her.

Tris approached Mrs. Everdeen. "You know you can call me Tris."

"I know that I can. What time will you be home, Beatrice?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe about midnight."

"The movie is over at ten. You'll be home at eleven." Tris scrunched her nose, but she knew the futility of arguing, whining, or begging with Mrs. Everdeen. She took her guardianship of Tris very seriously.

"Good night kids. Have a good time." Mr. Everdeen said.

"Thanks, sir," Tobias said as he shook Mr. Everdeen's hand. Tobias raised his eyebrows as Mr. Everdeen's grip got tight. "See you at what time son?"

"See you at what time son?"

"Eleven sir."

Mr. Everdeen's smile got wide. "Very good."

Tris and Tobias drove to the mall. She would have been happier if Katniss was granted guardianship of her, but it was nice living with the Everdeen's. She attended Panem High School and was doing well. Tobias rented a room at the Hawthorne's. He found a local job and was also settling in.

Tobias looked at the eyes of the residents as he drove along Main Street. "You get the feeling we're being watched."

"We are. Half the town are either cops or retired cops. Mr. Everdeen let it be known people might come after us." She felt safe when Tobias squeezed her hand. Tobias gave a half smile. He worried that danger from the Dauntless could pop up at any time.

* * *

"Thanks, Dad. This was just what I needed." Katniss said as she shoveled the double scoop sundae with whip cream, hot fudge, and a cherry on top. "But I think I'll take most of it home." Katniss and her father paid their bill and headed home.

"Dad, thanks for putting up with me and Lily. I know things are a little cramped with Tris there also."

"Oh God Katniss, you're always welcome. This will always be your home. Um, is Lily with Peeta tonight?"

"No, she is with his parents."

"What are you and Peeta doing to work things out?"

"We're working on it," Katniss couldn't answer any more questions about her marriage.

Katniss got into the passenger seat. Her eyesight still had not returned to normal. "I'm so conflicted. On one hand, I want to stay home, but I love my job." Katniss stared out of the window as the sights of her youth passed by. The school, the church, and the park all contained pleasant memories. But that couldn't keep Katniss from being anxious about reconciling with Peeta. "And you know how I hate being pushed. I can take Mom's pushing because I'm not around her every day, but Peeta is a different story."

"You could always apply for an inside position."

Katniss sighed. "Would you have done that Dad?"

Her father chuckled at the thought of a desk job. "I suppose not."

"If my eye doesn't get better the decision will be made for me."

* * *

"Oh please, it was nice."

"It was a chick-flick."

"How could you say Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort weren't adorable."

Tobias rolled his eyes. "Whatever, but I choose the next movie."

Tris threw her arms around Tobias and stood on her toes. Her heart pounded when he pulled her in and kissed her. "Um, maybe we should go inside. You know, eyes." Tobias said looking around the block from the Everdeen porch.

Tris pulled Tobias down and whispered in his ear. "That will be cozier, but you have to be quiet. She has ears like an elephant," they tiptoed into the living room. Tobias took her in his arms and lifted her off the ground. Tris' heart raced when her lips pressed his.

"Very nice."

Tris' heart now raced for a different reason. Tobias lowered Tris to the ground. He could barely make out the figure in the shadows, but he would know that voice anywhere. "Eric."

"It's good to see you so happy." Eric's sarcasm was obvious. "I have to compliment you. It was a pain tracking you down." Eric came into focus as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. He was gaunt and his face had a full beard. He leaned to one side.

"I guess you're here to drag us back to Chicago and turn us over to Jeanine."

Eric sneered and held the gun higher pointing it at Tobias' head. "No Four, I'm here to blow you and your little girlfriend's brains out." Tris and Tobias backed up when Eric came out the shadows.

"So they sent you here to kill us? Or are you showing a little initiative?" Tobias asked.

"You've always been a smart-ass." Eric's hand shook as he tried to steady the gun. Tobias stood too far away to try to slap the gun away. Tris backed up.

"Where do you think you're going you little twit?" She shrugged. "Another foot between us won't help."

* * *

Frank turned the car onto Twelfth Street. He focused up the block. "Something wrong Dad?"

"That car caught my eye. I've never seen any cars on the street outside the Nelson's. They have a driveway with a lot of space." Frank stopped the car and turned out the lights.

"Now, what's wrong."

"I see three shadows in our living room."

"Mom, Tris, and Tobias?"

"No, your mom's upstairs. I can see her."

Katniss felt her gun, but paused while she thought it out. "Call the Panem Police. Make sure they know I'm here." Frank went right for his phone.

Katniss ran to a side window and peeked in. Her father caught up with her. "What do see?"

"Eric's in there."

"Let's go around back. We'll go through the mud room."

"No we Dad, just me."

"I'm going with you, no argument. I outrank you. Go." Katniss took a deep breath but agreed. They ran to the backdoor.

Frank unlocked the door, Katniss led the way. They entered the kitchen and walked into the dining room as silent as they would while hunting. Katniss saw the trio in the reflection in the large living room mirror. She inched to a position to shoot Eric.

The unmistakable cocking of the gun perked up Katniss' ears.

"Put the gun down," Rose Everdeen said.

"Stay out of this old lady or I'll kill you too."

"I'm not as good a shot as my daughter, but it'll be hard to miss at this distance. Now, put the gun down."

Eric kept his gun aimed at Tobias. He didn't flinch.

All went black. A shot rang out.

Tobias flipped a light switch back on. Eric lay on the floor, blood poured from his neck wound. Eric made one move and it was to grab the knife and pull it out of his neck. He tried to stem the flow of blood coming from his wound, but it was too late. He squirmed, gurgling as he choked on his own blood. He let out a last gasp and spasmed before becoming motionless. Rose, the healer of the family, stayed in the hallway.

Katniss picked up his gun and felt for a pulse.

"Is he dead?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Katniss said.

"Good."

"Good knife throwing Tris," Katniss turned and saw Tris on the ground in the middle of her own pool of blood. "Mom, it's Tris!"

While all eyes were on the dying Eric, no one realized Tris had been shot.

Rose sprinted into action. "Frank, call 911! Katniss, get me clean towels!" Tobias cradled Tris in his arms. "Let her go Tobias, I have to look at her." The towel, Rose covered her chest wound with, became saturated with blood.

* * *

Tris struggled to open her eyes. Light crept through the slits. Rhythmic beeping echoed in her head. Restraints held her right arm. She reached over with her left hand and felt an IV tube in her right wrist and an oxygen tube in her nose. She blinked her eyes until they focused. Tobias lay his head on the edge of the bed.

"I see you're awake." A nurse had poked her head in.

"He's asleep."

"Your boyfriend's been here all night. Are you in any pain?"

"Not really. What happened?"

"They took a bullet out of your chest. The doctor will be by later, but you'll be fine. Get some more rest."

Tris weaved her fingers through Tobias' hair. She tried to remember what happened in the Everdeen's living room.

Tobias turned his head and opened his eyes. "Hi, how you feeling?"

"Fine, considering. What happened?"

"Eric shot you, you threw your knife at Eric and pushed me out of the way. It all happened so fast."

"Eric?"

"He's dead."

"Do you think it's over?"

Tobias thought for a second, "I hope so." He squeezed her hand.

* * *

"Hi, I made you guys breakfast. I figured you'd be hungry after a long night in the hospital." Hazelle and Vick Sr. stood in the Everdeen kitchen cooking omelets. Katniss took a deep breath and placed herself at the front of the line, a plate in hand, a big smile on her face.

"I see you got rid of the eye patch," Vick said.

"Yeah, the pirate jokes were getting old." Katniss took her plate and sat in the dining room. Eggs, cheese, broccoli and bacon scents brought a smile to her face. She dug in and already planned for seconds.

"Frank, where's Rose?" Hazelle asked.

"She's in the living room."

Hazelle found Rose staring at the two blood stains cater-cornered on her living room carpet. She had her elbow in hand and she rubbed her chin. "It can't be cleaned. It'll have to come up," Rose said.

"The padding too," Hazelle said and Rose nodded in agreement. "If you're getting new carpet you might want to change the drapes and blinds."

"I agree." Rose meandered to the sofa. "This sofa has seen better days. A trip to the furniture store might be in order."

"Tables too?"

"Definitely. You know, I've always thought that a picture window belonged there."

"If you're changing the window you might as well upgrade the door."

Rose stood and straightened herself. "What order should we go in?"

"First we'll go to _Pane in the Glass_ to look at the windows, then _Woodfella's_ for the door samples," Hazelle said.

"_Carpet Diem_ and then _Sew Materialistic_ for the drapery fabric," Rose said.

"And finally _Sofa, So Good_."

"Let's roll. Frank, Hazelle and I are going shopping!"

"Have a good time!" Frank yelled back.

"Why are they going to the supermarket now?" Vick asked.

"Who knows. I'm getting another plate, you want?"

"Yup."

Katniss sat there amazed at how easily her parents don't communicate. Peeta popped into her mind. She thought about the talking or the lack of talking she and Peeta had done lately. Was she going to let their marriage end because they are both too proud and stubborn?

"Hey Dad, I'm taking the car!" Katniss yelled.

"Have a good time!" Frank yelled back.

Katniss drove along Main Street. She passed Delly's deli, _Hello Delly_. Then the pet store, _Sir Barks A Lot_ which stood next to the shoe store, _Sole-Man_. Mellark's bakery was next, right before the salon, _Combing Attractions _and the liquor store_, Planet of the Grapes._ She parked outside the bakery, opened the door to the upstairs apartment and sprinted up the stairs. She knocked. "Come in." The door opened into a long hallway; she walked passed the bathroom, the kitchen and then the living room.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Not the reception she hoped for, but it was a start. "The place looks nice. They did a nice job with the remodel. Did your dad rent it yet?"

He shook his head. "Not yet." Peeta sat in a lawn chair in front of a picnic table doing paperwork. The only other piece of furniture was an inflatable bed. She sat on it. "Is this thing comfortable? It would make me seasick."

Peeta leaned back and raised one eyebrow. Neither he nor Katniss excelled in small talk. "Nope."

"Nope, what?"

"It's not comfortable."

"Oh." She got up and looked out the window. "The view is nice."

Peeta went back to his paperwork. "It's an alley filled with dumpsters."

"Oh yeah."

Peeta took a deep breath. "Do you want to talk Katniss?"

She nodded yes and squeezed her eyes shut. "Yes, I don't want us to end."

He got up and took Katniss' hand. They sat on the bed and rolled back. "Whoa!"

He rolled on his side. "If you're willing to try and make us work I will try to." He said. He pressed his lips to hers. She squeezed him hard. She could feel his heart beat with hers. They were one. "But I do have a request."

Katniss backed away and focused on Peeta's eyes. His steady, serious look worried Katniss. "Okay."

"I would like us to see a therapist. A detached third party ..."

"Good idea."

"... who can help us deal with our issues." Peeta paused. "What did you say?"

"I said okay."

"Oh, okay then." He cupped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in. Their lips met. Katniss pulled away. "What?"

"I can't do this."

Peeta's narrowed his eyes, "Katniss, it's not nice to tease."

"Oh Peeta, I'm not teasing. I'm not sure I'll enjoy sex on a bouncy castle." They chuckled and hugged.

* * *

Katniss ran her hand across Peeta's chest. She could still feel his heart beating. "You know. Making love on the bouncy castle wasn't that bad. It added another dimension to it." She sat up and looked around the room. "You know, this room has potential. I'd paint the walls a different color though."

"We don't live here Katniss."

"We could. Maybe we should rent it from your parents. That way we'd have someplace to stay when we visit. A little privacy would be nice."

"That'd be nice."

Katniss threw on Peeta's shirt and toured the apartment. I think I'll catch up with my mother and Hazelle. They're out shopping. I need to look at paint colors, carpets, furniture, curtains and, of course, a bed. We should save the bouncy castle for special occasions. I need to call the telephone and satellite TV company. Oh God, I need to make a list. Then we need to ..."

Peeta rolled over, pulled the cover over his face and smiled. He took out his phone and updated the number of days till Katniss' retirement. Less than 1,950 days.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading the story. It was fun to write but keeping all the details in order gave me a headache. :) If you haven't reviewed, please do. It will be nice to hear from the readers. See you next story.

PS: 8 of the 10 stores are real stores.


End file.
